Seeing the Unseen
by WinterDance
Summary: Learning about someone sometimes forces you to learn about yourself. Part AU Part canon starting at Cyberwoman. Will become mainly Ianto/Jack (with lots of Tosh) but whole team plus Rhiannon involved. Language, may change rating depending on how things play out. Not always nice to Gwen or Owen
1. Chapter 1

**Kind of spoilers for Cyberwoamn (season 1, Ep 4) but more AU than what the BBC showed. Don't own them, but I sure do like playing with them. Especially Jack and Ianto.**

_You hid yourself from us!_

Pain, tearing deep into his chest, forced out through gasping, tearing sobs.

_You execute her or I'll execute you both!_

Staggering, stumbling, ricocheting like the bullets that had ripped through her, unfeeling of the rough walls that snatched and tore through cloth and into flesh, seeing nothing, hearing nothing except Jack's final command for him to get out. Nothing left; his mind, his heart, his body screaming in agony, the stench of blood covering him, cloaking him, wishing that he could simply vanish into the pain, claw his way deep into the misery and let it take him, let it overwhelm him, let it finish him. Alarms shrieking, the cries from Myfanwy as she nursed the wounds from the Cyberwoman - _Lisa_ - the echoes of the screams of his teammates, battering him, slamming through his brain, his heart, his soul.

And then finally only the sounds of his breathing, the sounds of his sobbing, the darkness reaching for him and letting him tumble forward into it, welcoming him, cradling him in its arms and offering him oblivion.

-TW-

By the time the blood was cleaned, the bodies burned and the equipment dismantled and separated into piles of useful and destroy, Jack had actually calmed down to the point where he was able to speak without pushing the words through his teeth. "Everyone go home, be back by nine tomorrow morning," he told them, "and be prepared for some changes in protocol. Serious changes." He took a deep breath and looked at Tosh. "Every code, every access, every possible means of getting into anything needs to be changed first thing. I want every entrance on a DNA lock with a notification if anyone uses it. As soon as you're gone, I am instigating a complete lockdown which will not be lifted until morning."

"Jack, what about...?"

"Don't ask me that now," Jack snarled, ignoring the way Tosh flinched from his tone.

"Come on, Tosh," Owen said softly, taking her arm and guiding her toward the main part of the Hub, wanting to get her out before the tears he could see gathering on her lashes began to fall.

"Jack, I think..."

"Gwen, which part of go home did you not understand? I swear if any of you are still here after the next sixty seconds I'm locking you in the cell next to Janet."

With that he spun away and stomped up the steps to his office, the resounding slam of the door making all of them jump. Figuring he meant what he said they gathered their things and left, leaving their captain to brood and drink in the eerie silence that had fallen in the aftereffects of the violence before. He was angry, furious even, at the whole idea of having something that could literally destroy the planet under his nose and not having an idea it was there. He was angry, incensed even, over the fact that it had nearly cost him his team.

He had to admit, after more than a few large tumblers of scotch, that he was hurt as well. He felt used, and he felt conned, and he had not for a single moment thought Ianto would ever do something like this. He knew the younger man was suffering the effects of being caught in the destruction and death of Canary Wharf, and maybe he hadn't really done enough to try to help him through the trauma of it all but his hatred of Yvonne Hartman and all things One had clouded his judgment. He could admit that. He didn't like it, but he could. What he didn't want to admit, and didn't want to feel, was that tiny niggle of guilt. Guilt because he had taken the time to integrate Gwen into the team, made her a part of everything, and never once thought about the fact that Ianto was just - _there_. Part of that he knew was because Ianto seemed happy to be in the background, but Jack knew he should have taken more than time to flirt, to playfully harass and to look a little deeper than the polite facade presented in the form of a well-fitting suit.

Jack was at a loss as to how to handle this. Under the anger, the betrayal, the fear and the guilt was the simple fact that he knew if it had been Rose he would have done the same thing. If he had found her, half converted but still alive, he would have done everything and anything in his power to keep her alive, to keep her breathing and thinking and feeling until he could find some way of helping her. He would have lied, hidden her, stolen and done whatever he had to do and would not have felt one shred of guilt. Could he condemn Ianto for loving someone so much that he was blinded to the damages the Cyberwoman could have caused? _Did_ cause, two people were dead because of her.

Jack groaned and scrubbed his face with his hands. Right now there was nothing he could do, the Hub was locked down and even if he wanted to he couldn't leave. Grabbing the decanter he lurched to his feet, the rapid consumption of the alcohol making him sway as he stumbled to the hole which led to his bunker and half slid, half fell down the ladder to try to get a few hours of sleep and not think about the blood, the pain, and the look of hatred, fear and devastation that had been his last glimpse of Ianto's eyes.

-TW-

It didn't surprise him that Tosh arrived first. He had opened the lockdown before eight, knowing the tech would not wait until nine to arrive so when she came though the cog door at only a few minutes after he was not surprised. She tried to flash him a smile but he saw the concern in her eyes and wondered if it was for him, for Ianto, or for what she was afraid he was going to do to the young man. He recalled their meeting and the first few months after bringing her to Torchwood and he remembered only too well the insecurity that had dripped from her, not in the job she did but from her, from who she was. Another broken soul he had brought to the team and taken the time to get to know, to mentor, to care. Owen was the same, devastated by the death of Katie, the horror of what he had been exposed to and Jack had worked with him, with the anger and the hatred and he had come out damaged but whole.

Suzie, well, let's not even think about Suzie because he still couldn't believe he had not noticed her descent into madness.

And Gwen? Well, the reason he had brought her in was because she wasn't broken, she hadn't been exposed to the horrors the others had, she hadn't felt the loss of loved ones, of seeing things and atrocities that the rest had, of being exposed to not only the terrors of what they didn't know was out there to the terrors of what walked beside them every day.

"Jack?"

He wasn't surprised. "Yeah?"

"Please give him a chance."

Jack lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers. "He was right about a lot of things. We did ignore him. He might have wanted us to, but apart from me treating him as a potential bed partner, Owen being as rude and condescending as he possibly could, Gwen acting as if he was the Hub servant and you..." He cocked his head. "You did talk to him. You did say thank you. I think you might have been the only one who even knew anything about him."

She nodded, coming further into the office and taking the chair opposite him. "I understood him. He felt meaningless, Jack. He didn't matter. The reason he was willing to do anything for her was because to him she was the only one that cared. All his friends died that day. He and his sister don't really speak. No one here seemed to care, and when anyone did mention One it was to talk about how foolish they were and how they deserved what they got. Owen asked him how it felt to live with knowing that he could have been responsible for the end of Earth. You have said more than once how bad One was, and how glad you were not to have the things they had done on your conscience. That hurt him. He told me that he already felt responsible for not doing more. How could he have come to us for help when we made it clear it was his fault already?"

Jack cringed, sinking further back in his chair as she spoke. "We are not without fault in all this, Tosh, me in particular. I failed as the leader of this team. But Ianto has to take some of the blame for this as well. I know he thought he could save her, but honestly she was dead from the moment the first upgrade was complete. I don't mean the whole casing, I mean the first piece of tech they put into her. I think she played him, I think the cyber parts were in control all along but they used her memories of him to keep him blindly helping." He sighed. "I plan on going to see him today. In fact, I'm going to go now before the others come in. I meant what I said though, everything is to be changed and all entrances and exits will have DNA scans and a record will be logged into a special file which will notify me when it is accessed."

"I think it's a good idea. I don't expect anyone to...well..." She sighed. "I don't know what anyone is capable of anymore. And Jack?" She eyed him as he stood and grabbed his coat. "One of the biggest problems that will have to be dealt with when Ianto comes back is how he's to be treated. I know I don't say much, but Owen is going to go out of his way to make things difficult. He told me last night that if you bring Ianto back he's going to throw a fit."

"Owen will have to get over it. As a doctor, he should have seen some of this. And if he has a problem with me bringing Ianto back then..." He grinned and shook a finger at her. "Where in this conversation did I say I was bringing him back?"

Tosh giggled. "You just did."

"Call me with his address," Jack grumbled, his smile showing there was no malice in it. He opened the top drawer of his desk and grabbed a set of keys. "Just in case he won't let me in," he told her with a wink before sweeping out the door. "Now get to work, Toshiko Sato!" he called back.

She laughed, getting up and leaving the office to access her computer and send Jack Ianto's address.


	2. Chapter 2

**Still own nothing unfortunately. Thanks for the reviews, the faves and the follows - it makes me very happy. Not as happy as naked Ianto and Jack of course but I will take what I can get.**

Owen's reaction when he arrived and was told where Jack had gone didn't surprise her. Cursing, scowling and offering opinions ranging from execution to Retcon to being locked in the cells until Hell froze were among the things said but Tosh paid him no mind, it was entirely Jack's decision and she supported it wholeheartedly. Gwen's reaction though was a bit of a shock. She didn't call for execution, but Retcon was her idea of a fitting punishment, and she argued it loudly in between rounds of concern for what Ianto could be doing to Jack, after all what if there was another Cyberman and Jack was currently being converted.

Tosh just gritted her teeth and kept quiet.

There had been no communication from Jack once she had sent him the address of Ianto's flat and she honestly didn't expect there to be. Although Jack was a flirt she had a feeling there was more to his flirting with Ianto than even he knew, and while his anger had been terrifying last night his words today made it clear a lot of that anger was directed at himself for not seeing the damage to Ianto's mind and soul.

She was of the belief they all could be a bit angry at themselves for that.

When the cog door rolled open and Jack strode in she was surprised, it seemed like he hadn't been gone long enough to accomplish much. A single look at his face - pale and dejected - made her swallow and clench her fists. Gwen stood up to go to him but he threw up a hand, stopping her in her tracks. "Boardroom, five minutes." Owen barely got a snarl out before Jack spun round and pointed at him. "Not a word. Five minutes, Owen, and leave your fucking mouth outside."

Jack cursing was rare so it stopped Owen in his tracks. The clatter of his boots on the steps and the sound of his office door slamming made them all jump, eyes wide as they looked to one another for answers. Tosh had a sinking feeling in her stomach, and her eyes stung with a rush of tears. "Oh no, you don't think...?"

"Maybe someone should check the SUV and see if he brought him back in a bag," Owen said, sounding not at all sorry if that was the case. "Maybe he saved Jack the trouble and offed himself."

"Owen, sometimes you are so...so..." Unable to come up with the words to aptly call him what she wanted, Tosh got up and stormed up to the boardroom to wait for Jack, no longer trying to stop the tears that were sliding down her cheeks. "Ianto is my friend, and maybe if you had tried a little more to be one, or at least gave a damn about him as a doctor, this wouldn't have gone so far. But no, you just had to..." She paused at the doorway and turned to face him. "I thought better of you, I really did," she said sadly before turning and going inside.

Owen bit back another sharp comment when the door to Jack's office was flung open and he stepped out, fixing a glare on first Gwen and then Owen. "Boardroom!" he snarled.

Gwen scrambled to obey, Owen coming at a slightly less frantic pace. Once they were in and seated, Jack, who was pacing with an almost violent stride, stopped and slammed both hands down onto the table. "I want to know every detail any of you know about Ianto. Friends, family, habits, anything." He resumed pacing. "I would also like to know how it is that no one had any idea he had been tossed from his flat and where he might have been living." He ignored the startled sounds from the rest. "His car was also apparently sold, and although I can't say this for sure I'm betting his bank accounts were nil or less." He stopped again, once more resting his hands on the table, his head dropping and slowly shaking in disbelief. "How could things have gotten so bad for him and not one of us noticed? Are we so wrapped up in ourselves that we couldn't see his entire life was crashing around him?"

"Is he alright?"

Jack snorted and glanced at Gwen. "I don't know."

Tosh's fingers gripped the edge of the table. "Jack..?"

"I have no idea where he is. No one knows where he went when he left his flat, no one knows anything, there is a stack of bills in the SUV that have accumulated there over the past two months." Jack shuddered. "Two months he's been living somewhere that no one knows about. I can't recall the last time I saw his car."

"I asked him if everything was alright about a week ago when I saw him coming out of the shower room after cleaning up from taking care of that disgusting mess Owen had left in the autopsy bay when that slime creature melted," Tosh said quietly, "and I asked him because he was buttoning his shirt and he looked so thin. I told Owen, I thought maybe he should take a look and see if something was wrong. I know he was having trouble sleeping, but I thought Owen knew that as well."

Jack's gaze turned to the doctor. "Well?"

Maybe if he had looked even the least bit repentant it wouldn't have gone the way it did. "I forgot." Owen shrugged. "And he told me he was having trouble sleeping when he first got here but after what happened at One it didn't surprise me." He looked at Jack. "Maybe the whole not sleeping and eating thing was because he was suffering from a guilty conscience," he said with a smirk.

Jack's lips were thinned and the muscle in his jaw clenching and releasing when Owen said he forgot. The last comment though brought him round the table with quick, angry strides, his hands catching hold of Owen's shirt and lifting him to his feet before slamming him back into the wall. "You _forgot_? One of your teammates comes to you with honest and very real concerns about another one and you _forgot_? And now you justify your fucking carelessness by acting as if it's Ianto's fault you didn't do your job? You are many things Owen, but I never thought a lousy excuse for a doctor was one of them!" Jack was shouting by the end of his rant, his face mere inches from Owen's.

Four hands pulling at his arms finally made Jack let go and step back, allowing Owen to slide to the floor and sit there, gasping for air and staring at Jack in shock. "What the fuck was that?" he croaked, rubbing his throat where Jack's knuckles had dug into his flesh. "Have you forgotten what happened here last night? Have you forgotten that _he_ was responsible for getting two people killed? Have you forgotten _he_ was responsible for Gwen almost being converted?"

"Have you forgotten your job, Owen? Have you forgotten the reason I hired you? Have you forgotten the reason I _found_ you?"

Owen paled, his eyes locked with Jack's.

"Tell me you wouldn't do the same, Owen," Jack ground out through clenched teeth, "tell me you wouldn't do anything in your power. And then tell me that any of us have done a damn thing to make Ianto feel like he was more than a glorified butler. Tell me how many times you asked instead of demanded. Tell me how many times you commented on how those bastards at One deserved what they got right in front of him, knowing that he lost everything that day. Tell me that you gave one single damn about how much pain he was in, or what he was feeling, and maybe then I'll give you the right to have any opinion." His glare sifted to Gwen. "Tell me you wouldn't do the same thing for Rhys. Tell me you wouldn't move Hell and Earth to help him in the same situation. Tell me how, as the human and the heart of this team, you never made any effort to show that to Ianto. Tell me how someone who is so caring can look at a man who is completely shattered and ask him what it was like to watch his friends die in fire and blood."

Gwen's hand came up to cover her mouth, eyes wide.

"I'm no better. I flirted with him, I made everything a game and I ignored the pain in his eyes, I allowed him to wear the mask that hid so much and I didn't do a damn thing to strip it away and try to help him. I cursed One, I was just as guilty of that as Owen. And in the midst of it all, he had one person who tried, one person who noticed, who cared, and when she tried to help him it was dismissed. Forgotten. Well I'm done forgetting. I know what happened last night could have been far worse. I better than any of you know what those things are capable of. But I also know that we failed Ianto on so many levels. Maybe if we had taken the time to get to know him, and given one shred of thought or a damn about what he had been through, he might have trusted us enough to tell us what was going on. Now if any of you think you have a justifiable reason for sitting in judgment feel free to say it. If not, then we need to find him before he does something that really can't be fixed."

With that he left the boardroom, the violent slam of his office door making all of them jump. For a few seconds they all sat there, staring at one another until Tosh took a deep breath. "I'm going to run the face recognition software and see if it can pick him up on the CCTV anywhere. Gwen, call your contacts in the police and see what you can find out. Owen," she paused, her eyes steady on his despite the tears that were still slipping down her cheeks, "call the hospitals, see if he's been brought in. Once I get the program running for the recognition, I'm going to start working on his bank accounts and such. We'll update everything at lunch." She didn't wait for a response from either of them, instead getting up and leaving the boardroom to get started. Gwen and Owen shared a look, and both feeling the weight of Jack's harsh but true words got up in silence and headed to their workstations and their assigned tasks, each wondering how they could have been so blind and how easily either of them would have without thinking done the exact same thing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Again, thank for the reviews, faves and follows. I appreciate the kind words tremendously and I hope the story continues to live up to your expectations. Oh - and I still don't own them. I'd settle for renting them. **

Their first hard lesson in just how much they depended on the invisible member of the team came about when Gwen's stomach made a horrible sound, reminding her that it needed to be fed. It was so loud that Tosh looked at her in surprise, her glasses sitting at the end of her nose and her brow furrowed in concentration. Gwen gave her an embarrassed grin and shrugged. "Might be time for lunch?"

Tosh glanced at the clock on her computer and snorted. "It's almost four, I would say it's well past the time." She slid off her chair. "I'll order, what does everyone want?" Neither Gwen nor Owen cared so Tosh climbed the steps to Jack's office to find out what he would prefer. She tapped softly on the door and then opened it, sighing when she saw the hopeful look in his eyes. "I'm going to order food, and then we'll discuss what we've found. I just wanted to know what you wanted."

"Not hungry," he sighed.

"You have to eat," she scolded him gently. "I understand you're feeling a lot of things right now, so am I, the biggest thing is that we really let him down." She came the rest of the way in and closed the door behind her, leaning against it and folding her arms across her chest. "Honestly Jack, are we going though this because we feel guilty or because we care?"

"Both?" Jack set his pen on the desk and leaned back in his chair. "Do I feel guilty for not seeing any of this? Of course. Do I care?" He snorted and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "More than I really want to admit. For all the flirting and such, I really like Ianto, Tosh. I could talk to him and for me, that's rare. I know everyone thinks I open up to Gwen but it's not..." He grinned, not the usual teeth baring Harkness smile but a soft, sad twist of his lips. "I'd miss him, Tosh. I'd miss his wit, his quiet presence, I'd just miss _him_. Even if he wants nothing more to do with Torchwood, with us, I really just want to be sure he's ok."

"I was just feeling as if we were friends, on the way to becoming good friends. He's so easy to talk to when you actually give him a chance. And I know that what you said about One wasn't directed at him, but Owen..." She bit her lip, her feelings for the less than compassionate medic making her hesitate in what she had been about to say.

"Order lunch, Tosh, whatever you feel like. We're going to talk about everything, and we're also going to set some ground rules for when we find him." She nodded and got up to leave. "And Tosh?" She stopped, hand on the doorknob and looked over her shoulder. "We _will_ find him."

"I hope so," she sighed, and left quietly, Jack once more picking up his pen and continuing the list he had been working on when she came in.

-TW-

Tosh had ordered Chinese and once it had arrived she brought it to the boardroom, the rest of the team joining her and sitting in their usual spots. All had brought a file, or papers, with them and once everyone had their food Jack started it off. "Right, so tell me what you've found."

Owen shrugged. "Nothing. I've got nothing." He swallowed and glanced at Jack. "I did go back over his medical file and looking at it a bit closer I have to say I'm fairly certain it was less than complete. I also really don't want to admit that it's possible my feelings for One made me less than concerned about him." He winced at the narrowing of Jack's eyes.

Jack didn't say anything, he simply turned his head. "Gwen?"

"Nothing from the police but Andy said he'd let me know if that changed." She glanced at Owen. "Isn't it best this way, Jack? Why would he want to be here and honestly I'm not sure how I feel about..."

"I said a report Gwen, not your personal feelings. Tosh?"

Biting back the irritation at Gwen - and slightly mollified by the flush on the other woman's face - Tosh slid a piece of paper across the table to Jack. "His bank accounts are overdrawn, his credit cards maxed, he's completely broke," she said quietly. "I see him leave the Hub at night but then he disappears, I'm wondering if he was just going somewhere we couldn't see him and sneaking back in to stay with...Lisa."

Jack frowned. "I hadn't thought of that. If that was the case then when he left here he had nowhere to go." He grimaced and pushed his food away, his appetite gone. "What about his sister?"

Tosh flipped a few papers in the folder she had brought until she found what she was looking for. "Rhiannon. Married, two kids, but I know they weren't close." She rolled her eyes at the stunned looks from Gwen and Owen. "Ianto _is_ human so it's not that surprising he has a family."

"How did you know? There's nothing about anyone in his medical records."

"I spoke to him," Tosh snapped, her irritation at Owen's attitude spilling over. "I spoke to him, not at him, not around him, and he spoke back. Tell me Owen, in any of the times he was walking round here when he first joined looking as if his back was hurting him, did you ever once ask him what was wrong?" Her voice was rising as her worry and ager and fear spilled through. "You said that One got just what they deserved. Did you ever think that Ianto's job had nothing to do with the ghost shifts? That he lost not only what he knew there but almost everyone he was friends with? One friend, Fane, who lived through the battle, ended up with both his legs crushed and decided after several months that he couldn't live like that so he phoned Ianto to tell him he was sorry and then he killed himself. He has one other friend who survived but demanded Retcon so she doesn't even know him anymore. And that's it, Owen. He lost every other person he considered a friend and you sit here in judgment of him for trying to save the last bit of the woman he loved." She stood up, dashing the tears off her cheeks and turning to look at Gwen. "And you? Not one bloody thank you or please, not any consideration for him, the only thing you seem to give a damn about is how many ways you can flirt with Jack while telling us how wonderful Rhys is. Well, as you made it clear to Ianto let me make it clear to you. I _will_ find him, and I _will_ do everything I can to help him. You both can either help or stay out of my way. But I am done listening to snide comments and whingeing about what _could_ have happened. It _did_ happen to him."

Jack cocked his head and glanced between the other two when Tosh stormed out of the boardroom. "I don't think I have to worry about adding anything to that. Help, or stay out of it and that includes your opinions. And when we do find him, and trust me we will, Owen you will do your job as his doctor and both of you can accept the fact he will be taken care of and he will have the opportunity to become an honest member of this team as more than an overlooked office boy or I'll be more than happy to get out the Retcon." His eyes came to rest on Gwen. "And trust me, this time you won't break through it." He picked up the papers Tosh had given him and rose. "Oh, and you're all about to find out just how much he did round here. Owen, you're responsible for feeding and cleaning up behind the Weevils and any other guests we have. Gwen, clean up in here and make sure that the rubbish is gathered and properly binned. I'll take care of Myfanwy." He slammed his hand down on the table as soon as Owen opened his mouth. "Not a word. This is how it will be and if you don't like it then consider yourself on unpaid suspension until you get rid of the attitude and do what you're told."

Gwen huffed and crossed her arms. "Jack, we have too much work to do..."

"Gwen, leave. You're suspended for two days. I really am not going to listen to this. I can't tell you how many times a day I see you wandering round with nothing to do, or your phone to your ear, or playing solitaire on the computer. If you have that much work, why isn't it being done then? And Owen, if you have enough time to research various types of porn and then run off to the showers for a quick wank you have time to take care of any guests in the cells. Don't like it? You can have the next two days off as well. But make no mistake, when you come back you will find your list of chores has grown, and I will only tolerate so much. And as far as shorting the team? I'll do this by myself if I have to. Won't be the first time and won't be the last. No one is more important than anyone else and I'm fed up with people thinking they're too valuable to be accountable. I'm done. Gwen, I will see you in two days and don't bother to open your mouth."

She didn't have to. Her expression, the stomping of her feet and the violent snatch of her jacket before she stormed out through the cog door said enough. Owen, having known Jack longer and only too familiar with his temper was unsure just how far he wanted to push, silently got up and headed toward the cells to tend to the Weevils.

Jack took a deep breath began gathering the remnants of their lunch.


	4. Chapter 4

**Again, thanks for the reviews, follows and faves - I cannot say how happy it makes me that the story is being so well received. Although I still own nothing, I live in hope that one day they will be mine. Or at least that I can get hold of a video of naked hide and seek.**

_He was cold. Not just body cold but soul cold. Cold that drained him not only of heat but of life. He could ignore the filth, the itch, the pain of things not yet healed but oh how he wanted to be warm again, to feel life again. He couldn't though because his life was gone, it was dead, he was dead but he was too stupid to lie down and let it be._

**Two weeks after the incident...**

"Still nothing? At all? Bus, trains, airport, streets?"

Tosh shook her head. "Nothing. It's as if he vanished." She bit her lip, not wanting to say what she had begun to think. "Jack, do you think, the bay is..."

"No. _No_," he said emphatically, "I don't, I _can't_." He rubbed a hand over his face, Tosh watching and seeing how much he seemed to have aged in a matter of days. "Tosh, I know it's hard not to give up but please, I need you to believe in this too. I need someone else to make me feel as if this hope I have in my gut isn't in vain, and isn't my just my own selfish refusal to accept that he's really gone."

Tosh nodded and glanced over at Gwen's desk. "I know that I have the same feeling, but it's so hard not to get discouraged. And I don't understand how there can be nothing, Jack, nothing at all. He has to be living somewhere, he has to have some sort of shelter but even checking the areas where the homeless are I haven't seen him. It's like he walked out the door and disappeared."

"Look how well he faded into the background when he was here, Tosh. He more or less made himself invisible and we let him with no questions asked." Jack shoved his hands into his pockets and growled in frustration. "Dammit Ianto, where are you?" He glanced over at Gwen. "Have you checked in with Andy today to find out if there's any new information?"

Gwen looked somewhat embarrassed. "No, I mean, come on Jack, don't you think it's time to move on?"

Jack tipped his head back, the line of his jaw tightening. "No, I do not. He is somewhere, and I want him found."

"Well he doesn't want to be found," Owen said, coming up from the autopsy bay. "He made his choice Jack, and he chose her over us all along. So why should we waste our time trying to find him? He didn't give a shit about us, so why should we give a shit about him? Although it would be nice not to have to do all the crap jobs round here he was so good at."

"Maybe we should think about hiring someone else," Gwen said eagerly, "someone who can do all the same jobs."

"But this time try to keep it in your pants Harkness, and make sure to check the lower levels." Owen forgot sometimes just how fast Jack could move. He forgot until Jack reminded him, either by leaping out of nowhere to distract or subdue some threat, or when one of his team was hurt and he needed to get to them immediately. Or like now, when his lips were thin and white with fury, his normally laughing blue eyes chips of glittering ice, and one of those large, strong hands had him by the throat. Oh yes, then he remembered.

"I'm not interested in having this conversation with you again, Owen," Jack breathed, the barely controlled violence in his voice not at all lessened by the quietness of the words. "Ianto was, is and if I have anything to do with it will be a part of this team. Everyone makes mistakes. There was no malice in what Ianto did. I don't care if you're angry at him, I'm angry myself., But this will stop. I am sick of the snide comments and I am still disappointed and angry over the fact that you dismissed him from a medical standpoint even when a problem was pointed out by another member of the team. I am done with your attitude in this. If you do not think you can be a productive, functioning member of this team then tell me now and I will get the Retcon. If you can, then shut your mouth." He let Owen go and stepped back. "I am not hiring someone else. Until we find Ianto, everyone will continue to do what needs to be done round here. Now get back to work."

"Right," Owen said, his hand rubbed absently at his throat, "I'll get on a round of calls to the locals again, see if anyone has been brought in." He really didn't see the point in it but it was better than being choked.

Gwen sighed and looked very put upon but turned to make the call to Andy, keeping her opinion to herself. Jack scared her when he lost control like that, and she was shocked that Owen continually pushed him to that point. When she had come back after her two day suspension she had quickly realized that Jack's thinking on this was a bit less than rational and she had dutifully gone through the motions. She honestly hoped that Ianto was gone for good, after all not only had he endangered them with that thing, but the mood he was causing amongst the team was not making for a pleasant work environment. Tosh was as obsessed as Jack, and if you even mentioned the thought of giving up she was nearly as vicious as the Captain.

Ten minutes later, after hanging up from speaking with Andy, Gwen glanced up at Jack's office and sighed. Was it worth braving his wrath by telling him that once again there was nothing there? Part of her wanted nothing more than to comfort him, to hold him, to...

"Gwen!"

Startled out of her fantasy of Jack's strong arms she looked over at Tosh. "What?"

"What did Andy say?"

"Nothing. This is a waste of time. We have much more important things to be doing than searching for Ianto Jones. He obviously doesn't want to be found or he's killed himself and no one has turned up the body yet." She looked up at Jack's office. "I'm more than happy to be there for him if he needs to talk about it, I'd do whatever I could to make him feel better."

"Cow," Tosh muttered not quite under her breath, "we all know what you'd be willing to do."

Gwen's head swung round, her eyes narrowed and fixed on Tosh. "What did you say?"

"Jack doesn't want you, Gwen. He wants Ianto. Get over yourself." With that, Tosh got up and carried a folder with her up to Jack's office, knocking on the door and then letting herself inside.

-TW-

Jack sighed when he saw the expression on Tosh's face. "Gwen?" When she gave him a short nod, he groaned and leaned back in his chair. "I guess at some point they'll be right but I feel like we're missing something. I feel like if we'd find one tiny clue, one little indication, then it would all fall right into place. "

"I've had surveillance on his sister's house in case he showed up there but so far nothing." She bit her lip. "Jack, maybe I should talk to her. I could tell her I knew Ianto from One and wanted to see how he was doing. If she knows where he is, even if she won't tell me she can tell him we're looking for him because we care."

"We don't know how much she knows. She may have no idea he worked for Torchwood at all. And if he has told her he did and she knows what happened there, and even more what happened here..." He made a rude sound and slapped his hand on the desk. "We'll take the chance, but I'll go. I know you're his friend but if he thinks that I'm still in the same mindset and you're going behind my back I think he'll be worried about protecting you. He needs to know..." Jack's voice trailed off. "I ordered him to kill her. Everything he did he did out of love and I did out of anger. I knew he loved her. I knew what was happening was destroying him and I took the chance to jab the knife in deeper simply because I was angry." He grinned at her when she cocked her head. "And hurt. I was hurt."

"I thought you'd feel that way." Tosh slid the folder across his desk. "That's everything I have on them."

Jack snorted and shook his head. "You know me too well, Toshiko Sato."

She laughed and stood. "I know your heart, Captain Jack Harkness."

He rolled his eyes as she left, only then opening the folder and starting to read.

-TW-

"Hello, my name is Captain Jack Harkness and...no, maybe I'm looking for Ianto Jones, my name is...no, I should introduce myself first, explain who I am and then..." Jack groaned and banged the back of his head against the seat in frustration. He had been parked outside Ianto's sister's house for the last thirty minutes arguing with himself how best to proceed. He was sitting there, his eyes closed, when a sharp rapping on the window made him jump. He looked round to find a woman standing there, her resemblance to Ianto telling him this was who he was here to see. The expression on her face was one of annoyance, and as he opened the door of the SUV she stepped back and folded her arms across her chest. It was only once he was actually out of the vehicle that he noticed the group of teenagers that were gathered several feet behind her, keeping a wary eye on him.

"Who are you and why are you sitting here in that flashy Torchwood thing in front of my house?"

"Captain Jack Harkness. I'm looking for Ianto, have you seen him?"

The woman - Rhiannon - looked at him with a mix of distrust and annoyance. "And if I have?"

Jack sighed. "Could we go inside? Or even sit in the SUV? I think this is a conversation better had just between us."

Her eyes narrowed even further. "Right, come on then." She turned and gave a barely perceptible nod to the group of youths but it was enough for them to begin to disperse although Jack was well aware of eyes on him from a variety of places. He followed her inside and through to the kitchen, taking the seat she indicated and waiting for her to join him before taking a deep breath and meeting her eyes. "My name is Captain Jack Harkness. I work with Ianto, in fact I'm his boss."

"Seems to me you should know where he is then." She was giving nothing away, her face blank and her eyes steady on his.

Jack figured that if necessary he would Retcon her and decided to be as honest as he could. "There was an incident at work. I'm afraid I lost my temper, badly, and gave Ianto the impression that he was in enough trouble that his job was...in jeopardy." _Not to mention his life._ "Since then, we haven't been able to locate him. He's not living where we thought he was and..."

"Bloody Torchwood," she scoffed. "Bad enough you lot didn't do a damn thing to help him after that mess in London but now you've run him off? He avoids me, Captain, because he knows I want him away from there and I want him to find himself someone and settle down. He's had enough grief and pain already and he's only twenty-three years old. You give the line of bollocks about terrorists but if you knew what he..." She huffed loudly. "Terrorists wouldn't have made him blink an eye let alone stop sleeping and eating and turn into this guarded, frightened kid again. He told me that he might suddenly have to go and you lot might come looking for him and he told me to tell you to fuck off. He told me it was quite possible that he'd be dead if things went wrong. So now here you are, trying to put a nice spin on things and expect me to sit here and tell you where Ianto is so you can go kill him? Not happening, Captain, I'm not giving you even the time of day. The only reason you're in here is because I was curious as to what line of utter rubbish you would try to fill me with."

Jack was caught between laughing at the similarities and crying at how much it made him miss Ianto all the more. "Rhiannon, I messed up. Badly. I reacted with emotions that had no place in the situation and I think he's afraid. If you know where he is, please, even if you won't tell me tell him that I'm sorry. I want to help. I want to make things better."

The hard lines around her eyes softened just a bit. "I don't know why but I believe you. I don't know where he is. I've been trying to reach him but all I ever get is his voice mail and now even that seems to have stopped working. I went to his flat but..." She shook her head. "I don't know where he is and it scares me. He was so happy right before that attack happened, and after I knew something was wrong. He finally admitted his girlfriend had been killed but it was more than that. And lately, the few times I did speak to him he was upset, kept talking about how things were only getting worse because he was letting someone down. He wouldn't give me details, but I'm thinking it was something to do with Torchwood."

_He must have been talking about Lisa, that he hadn't been able to help her._ "He wasn't, but he did make some choices that were less than..." Jack sighed again. "So no idea where he might have gone?"

"I don't even have his new address," she said, her words sharp. "Have you checked there?"

Jack wasn't quite sure how to say it, but he figured if she was anything like Ianto she'd see through any lies he tried. "We don't know either," he admitted, "up until I went looking for him we didn't even know he wasn't there."

"Every day. You saw him every day and you didn't know?" She threw up her hands and stood, stomping over to the sink and running water into a kettle before plugging it in. "I know Ianto isn't exactly forthcoming about a lot of things but I do know from the few times I spoke to him that he considered you a friend and whatever was going on was making him ill over it all. And for Ianto, letting someone down is the same as..." Her voice broke and she shook her head. "How much has he told you?"

"Honestly? Not much, and far less than I wish he had. He is a master at keeping the worst things of himself hidden, which I'm sure you know. He was always sarcastic, witty, flirty..." Jack's voice drifted off. "He knew me, he knew all of us, but we knew less than nothing about him. He did everything he could to be invisible, to blend into the background, and if we did notice him he quickly distracted our attention."

She didn't look surprised. "That's how he survived. He became invisible, nothing more than a shadow that slips in and out." She tipped her head, meeting his eyes directly, measuring him with hard lines. "Sit down, Captain. I still think there is a whole lot more you aren't telling me but if you're going to be of any use in finding my brother I guess you need to understand a few things. You fucked up, and I am not happy that whatever you've done has made him hide himself to this extent, but I want him found and I want him found alive. And if things are as bad as I'm thinking they are then I'm guessing he's decided that everyone is better off with him dead."

Jack's stomach twisted. "Do you think he would...?"

Rhiannon got a mug out of the cupboard and set it beside one that was already on the counter. "For himself? No. For everyone else, thinking they'd be better off?" Her eyes met his. "Yes," she whispered, "he would."

Jack didn't want to but he believed her.


	5. Chapter 5

**As always my thanks for the support I've received on this and no, no one has contacted me yet with an offer to see them to me. **

_Just a little further, sliding through the shadows until he could reach, his hand shaking as he eased the lid off the bin. Feeling eyes watching him, not wanting to look back, to see, fingers scrabbling to gain some purchase on the shifting hard chunks. Lifting, so so careful not to drop, not to spill, withdrawing his hand until he could let the pieces fall into the sack he had fashioned from a sleeve before easing back out for a little more, breath caught and held as the lid slipped, ready to fall to the ground but he was lucky and it didn't quite tip far enough and now, another handful transferred and he eased the lid back in place. Salivating, starving, he forced himself to retreat, to vanish once more into the darker shadows, to find his corner before he began to eat, one piece at a time, the flavor no longer making him gag. Never enough but as time passed it didn't matter because his stomach was shrinking, if he was given the chance to eat his fill he doubted it would stay down. Another piece of cloth dipped into the small seepage of water from the crack beside him and he sucked it down, no longer noticing the taint of the metals in the liquid. He looked at the space where he slept, counting the marks he has scraped on the wall to count the days, unsure if he had made the mark for today or not,_

_He was dying, and he knew it._

_Part of him was already dead but now his body was beginning to shut down, his mind filled with cracks that dripped confusion and pain._

_He wondered why anyone would care but maybe, perhaps someone would. He wished he could change things but he knew he couldn't and there was nothing he was able to do to fix the damage he had done. He was sorry, not for loving her or trying to help her but for putting the others at risk and for lying, for hiding, for not trusting that maybe, just maybe, they could have helped. The pain was still sharp; the iced heat of betrayal that had been in those blue eyes, the fury in the words and in the grip of those hands, the press of the gun._

_His stomach sick with the memories, he set aside the last bits of food and crawled to his corner, curling up on the hard surface and pulling the bits of rotted cloth he had found and the remains of his suit over him, trying to stave off the constant chill. He closed his eyes, his body too dehydrated to actually cry but the silent shaking of his shoulders was clear, and in the regrets and the pain he felt another piece of himself flake off and crumble in death._

**Twenty nine days after the incident...**

He was running out of excuses to keep trying. Even Tosh was beginning to flag, her eyes dark with sadness and regret and a hint of realization that her friend was well and truly gone. There had been nothing - no sightings, no clues - only the emptiness of where he had been. Jack had found a new level of self-loathing, for in those rage filled moments he had taken Ianto's life just as sure as if he had gone though on his threat to pull the trigger. Now, sitting in his office, he knew that he was going to have to make a decision, one that was going to break his heart, one that was going to be an admittance of failure. He had spoken to Rhiannon only a few minutes before and she, albeit reluctantly, agreed that with so much time having passed that it was unlikely they would ever see Ianto again.

It took all his strength to push himself to his feet and walk the few paces to the door of his office. Turning the knob seemed an insurmountable task, pulling the door itself open even worse. He forced his feet to move out onto the walkway and glanced down at the three people in the Hub, swallowing thickly to give his voice room to leave his throat. "Boardroom, now." He saw Tosh's shoulders slump and he knew she realized what was coming. He watched with weary eyes as Gwen bounded up the stairs, flashing him a smile and a flutter of eyelashes on her way past.

He didn't return either. He had no desire to flirt, to tease.

Owen was next, his steps light and his expression blank, knowing that although the heaviness they all could see in Jack was there the wrong word or look would bring the rage crashing forth. He had been subjected to it enough since the stupid bastard nearly killed them all, his opinions not fitting with Jack's and when he forgot himself and commented it had not been a pleasant experience. Looked as if Jack was finally getting it though, and Owen had to admit he was relieved to have it all at an end.

Tosh moved the same as he, shoulders slumped, dejected and worn. He reached out for her as she passed, catching her arm and drawing her close to him, holding her when she began to cry. "I don't want to," he whispered, his voice cracking with pain, "but I don't know what else to do."

"I want to keep the recognition program running," Tosh said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

Jack nodded. "Good. If there is any chance..." He sighed and put his arm round her waist. "Come on, let's get this over with." The two of them walked into the boardroom, Tosh moving to take her seat and Jack remaining standing at the head of the table. "While I still feel, as does Tosh, that Ianto is alive and out there somewhere, I have come to the point that I am out of ideas on where to look. So, at this point, we are shutting the search down except for the recognition program which will continue to monitor all CCTV in and around Cardiff. This does not mean that you," he glared at Owen, "or you," his eyes shifted to Gwen, "are allowed to start voicing how you feel. We will not be hiring anyone else, and the jobs that Ianto did round here will still be the responsibility of the person assigned."

"I think it's time we moved on Jack, time that you moved on," Gwen said, nodding firmly. "I know you..."

"What part of not being allowed to voice your views did you not understand, Gwen?" Jack's brow was furrowed, his annoyance clear in the look in his eyes and the stiffness of his stance. "And I am not moving on. I still believe Ianto is alive and at some point I will find him. It may be one day when the program picks him up on CCTV or I bump into him walking across the Plas. I also will not tolerate ignorance and hatred being bandied about by the two of you. You can both sit there and swear differently but I know that either of you would have done the same thing given the chance to save the person you love. Now, that's it. Get back to work." He immediately turned and left the boardroom, Tosh on his heels.

"Finally," Owen sighed, "I was getting tired of pretending to phone the hospitals every bloody day."

Gwen looked guilty. "I haven't actually spoken to Andy in more than a week."

Owen glanced over his shoulder. "He's got no reason to feel guilty about any of this. It wasn't him who lied and who almost got us all killed."

Gwen shuddered. "I know! Especially me, I was nearly converted into one of those things!"

"What I don't understand is Tosh," Owen sneered, "at least Jack has the excuse he was shagging the traitor but I don't know what hers is."

"My excuse is that I have feelings and compassion for people other than myself," Tosh said, her words frigid, "and next time you two want to sit and talk about things you are supposed to be dropping I suggest you make sure that your comms are off. Oh, and Jack said both of you are on Weevil duty so go clean the cells. Full clean, not just a hose."

"He really better hire someone to do this shit round here," Owen muttered, shouldering past Tosh and stomping his way toward the vaults. Gwen followed, her mouth set and her eyes showing her displeasure but she kept her mouth shut, not wanting to draw Jack's attention to the fact that neither she nor Owen were happy with the continued punishment. Maybe they had taken all Ianto had done for granted but even so, it was beneath their status and importance in the team to be saddled with these types of disgusting and mundane chores, and she would be grateful when he finally got over the vanished tea boy and remembered who was really important to the team.

**Thirty six days after the incident...**

"Jack?"

Jack looked up from the pile of papers he was currently staring at, his brown furrowed. "Yeah, Tosh?"

"I was wondering if you could take a look at something."

He started to stand up but she shook her head. "You can look from here," she told him, coming into his office and round the desk. She reached over him and moved his keyboard within easy reach, her fingers beginning to fly over the keys as she brought up the new Hub monitoring program on the computer screen. "I've attached the sensors to the cameras but we have a lot of areas that aren't actually covered. So, I did some tweaking, and over the past couple days I've gone deeper and placed those Rajakatian heat and motion sensors in the levels not covered by CCTV." She flashed him a small grin. "Just how deep does this base go?"

Jack's laugh was loud, and for a moment the haunted look faded from his eyes. "There are levels to it that I've never even seen," he admitted, "but a lot of them are sealed off now. The lowest outside entrances though are on the third level of vaults, so anything below that isn't really of much concern unless someone wants to find a way to get in through the bay and a few tons of rock." He sighed. "If you really want to know, I can pull the original blueprints from the Secure Archives and..." His voice faded, the far too familiar sadness back in his eyes. "Or, you could have just asked Ianto. He would have known."

Tosh patted his arm. "Jack, listen, I need to show you this." She waited until he refocused his gaze on the screen. "I know that there are no entrances lower than that level, but when I brought the sensors online today I picked up a small but definite fluctuation that seems to move from Nine up to Five and then back down. Almost a pattern. It's faint, I don't think it's warm enough to be human and we know if there was a Weevil down there we would have known it by now but still, it's odd. Could it be...?"

"Most likely rats, Tosh. That might be where that herd of Owen's that escaped ended up and they've bred. But you say it's a single signature?"

"Unless they are moving as a single unit then yes, and while I know rats have some group instinct to them this would have to be a coordinated march and I doubt even the ones Owen had were smart enough to do that."

Jack sighed. "Right, then I guess we should take a look. Fancy a trip into the dank and dark bowels of our secret base, Toshiko?"

She grinned. "How can a girl resist an offer like that, Captain Harkness? But let me change my shoes first, and you get a couple of torches and maybe a stun gun or two and some sedative spray just in case."

He laughed, standing and escorting her from his office with his hand on her back. "My kind of woman, great legs and an extensive knowledge of weapons needed for a foray into the unknown."

Ignoring the confused looks from Owen and Gwen, they readied themselves and with an admonishment for the other two to keep their comms open in case they were needed, Jack and Toshiko headed down the first set of stairs into the darkness of the lowest levels of the Hub. The lights on the first few levels were triggered by motion so they made their way fairly quickly down to the lowest level of vaults used for housing Hub guests. After that they switched on their torches and took greater care, the dampness of the walls and the occasional rattle of loose stone under their feet mixing with the sounds of their breathing. Tosh kept glancing at the PDA she carried, keeping an eye on their proximity to the heat signature she had found.

"Has it moved?"

"No," she answered, her voice echoing in the corridor. "One more level down and then northwest of the stairs."

Jack nodded, moving the beam of light from his torch along the wall once he reached the bottom of the steps. "Northwest?"

"Yes, not too far, maybe thirty meters."

Jack stopped and listened. "I don't hear anything moving. Stay close." He started off again, walking slowly, keeping the light on the floor. Something caught his ear and he stopped again, raising his hand to keep Tosh slightly behind him as he tried to figure out what the sound could be. "Do you hear that?" he whispered.

"Yeah, it almost sounds like bellows, or forced air," she said, her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what it was.

"Stay behind me." Jack started off again, trying to step lightly, making as little noise as possible until he reached an open archway, the sound coming from the depths of the room. He moved slowly, the sedative spray ready, shading the torch with his other hand as he eased toward the sound. The very edge of the circle of light caught a shape, a bundle of rags piled haphazardly in a corner, and Jack paused, his chest seizing as he realized it wasn't rags but a form, a form of...

The shape moved, rolling slowly toward them and Jack sucked in a harsh breath, Tosh crying out behind him as she got her first look.

Thirty six days, fourteen hours and thirty nine minutes after the incident, they had found Ianto Jones.


	6. Chapter 6

**I cannot stress how grateful I am at the response for this. Thanks again for all the kind words and the clicks. :) I'm still trying to figure out how to own them but for now they still belong to RTD and the BBC.**

Jack dropped to his knees beside Ianto, his eyes wide with shock and his breath caught in his chest. Filthy, bruised, scratched and covered in rags and bare patches of raw skin, the blue eyes were dull with pain and confusion but they managed to focus on his face. For a moment there was relief but then fear took over and he made a sound, a mewling noise of terror and he shuffled his body backwards, cramming himself deeper into the corner and cowering, folding in upon himself to make the target that he was smaller. Too stunned to move, Jack sucked in a harsh breath and then was promptly knocked back onto his arse when Tosh shoved him out of the way and crouched next to the whimpering man.

"Ianto? It's Tosh. We're not here to hurt you, I promise." She was crying, her hands shaking so badly that the light from her torch was jittering madly. "Ianto? Please, please look at me."

Jack moved beside her, setting his torch aside and carefully taking hold of Ianto's wrists, wincing a the sharp cry and the weak struggle to pull away. "Ianto, please,' he begged, his voice rough with the overwhelming emotions that were tearing at him, "we're trying to help you. We need to see you, please, let us look." He tugged gently, nearly giving in to the urge to curse Gods and Goddesses alike when he felt how easy it was to force Ianto's arms to move. He was beyond weak, he was far beyond terrified, and even from this distance and the slight contact Jack could feel the burning heat coming off him in waves.

Tosh had wiggled closer and somehow gotten her arm round Ianto's waist and was softly speaking to him in Japanese, the singsong cadence of her voice almost hypnotizing. It seemed to have an effect for he stopped fighting Jack's efforts and let his arms drop, or maybe just the brief struggle had exhausted him to the point he could do no more. He kept his head down but while now Jack could more clearly see the ravishes the last month had done to him physically, what frightened him more was the damage wrought emotionally. Guilt was warring with fury at himself for never thinking that Ianto might still be somewhere in the Hub, and from what little he could see in the darkness another day or so might well have meant that at some point they would have found the body - or parts of it - but Death would have come for the broken man long before. Luckily Tosh being Tosh, and her sense of duty, had led them to this.

"Ianto, we need to get you up to the Hub, we need to get you to where Owen can get a look at you," Jack explained, keeping his voice low and even. Ignoring the whimpers and the effort to force his body deeper into the corner, Jack pulled Ianto closer to him, Tosh using the placement of her arm to help, until he could get his arm round Ianto's back and lift him slightly. "He weighs nothing," he groaned, slipping his other arm under Ianto's knees and getting to his feet with far less effort than he liked. "Tosh, call Owen, tell him to get medical ready and make sure he pads that damn table."

Tosh stood and tapped her earpiece at the same time. "Owen, we found Ianto, Jack says get the medical bay ready. He's not so good." She waited, but there was no response. "Owen? Did you hear me? Owen? Gwen?"

Jack growled, the sound making Ianto cringe in his arms. "Not you," he soothed, "you're going to be fine." His eyes ware furious when he looked at Tosh and she knew that whatever was going on had better be the end of the world serious or Owen was dead. "Neither of them answering?" he asked, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.

"No and let's not wait," she sighed, turning and grabbing Jack's abandoned torch and using both to illuminate the way out of the room. "Ianto is far more important than they are."

Not arguing, Jack followed her, keeping a careful watch as to where he was stepping so as not to jar the now unconscious man in his arms. He wasn't sure if fear or illness had knocked him out, but even as light as Ianto was he was grateful for the lack of panicked struggling as he carefully negotiated the steps to the next level, keeping his eyes focused on the double beams of light from the torches Tosh held. He could hear how ragged Ianto's breathing was, and in spite of the heat that burned through the man he was shivering strongly. He could hear Tosh muttering to herself, and while he knew next to nothing of the language from the tone he could tell it was not a pleasant chat about the weather.

"Jack, do you need to stop?"

Her question was so unexpected he nearly didn't answer. "No, I'm good. I want to get him out of here as fast as possible."

"How did we never think of this?" she cried softly, her voice breaking. "He's been here the whole time! What has he been eating?"

"Honestly I'm almost afraid to find out. Once we get him settled and taken care of, I'm going back down there to see. Whatever it's been there hasn't been much of it because he weighs nothing." In spite of that declaration Jack was puffing slightly; he and Ianto were more or less the same height and while he had lost a great deal of weight and Jack prided himself on staying in shape the steps were beginning to get to him.

"One more level, Jack," Tosh encouraged him and indeed he could see the lights of this area's lower block of cells. It really wasn't only one more flight, there were the remaining two to the actual work area of the Hub but once they got as far as the vaults he knew he would be faced with a far too clear look at just how bad the young man in his arms was and that alone was enough to make him finish the climb. So far Ianto hadn't stirred and Jack was getting more and more worried. Without realizing it, he started talking to him softly, not really worrying about what he was saying as much as keeping his voice level and calm. He also didn't notice he wasn't speaking English.

Tosh did, and while she was itching to know what he was saying and what language it was right now all she cared about was getting Ianto upstairs and finding out why the other two members of the team hadn't responded to her call. It seemed to take forever but finally they reached the final corridor that would take them to the Hub proper and she was able to switch off the torches, the way well illuminated. "I'm going to run ahead, Jack, and find out what the other two are doing and get things started," she said, keeping the fury out of her voice for Ianto's sake. She saw him nod, his words still flowing quietly, and increased her strides, her irritation coming through in the sharpness of her steps and the fingers that clenched round the torches. She heard them before she saw them, Gwen's laughing shriek and Owen's amused taunting, and when she stepped into the center of the Hub she saw them over by the cog door, doing nothing more than playing basketball. "Owen, Jack told you to be on the comms!" she yelled, running toward the steps that led to the autopsy bay. "You'd both better be ready for whatever he decides to do because we needed you and you two were busy playing _basketball_."

"Where's Jack?" Gwen yelled, starting for the corridor that led to the vaults. "If he's hurt and you left him there..."

"Jack's fine, it's Ianto that isn't!" Tosh shouted back. "Owen, you need to get the table ready and Jack said make sure you pad it well."

"Ianto?" Owen seemed to shake off the surprise and anger at Tosh's furious reprimands, the doctor in him taking over as he ran to get things ready.

"What do you mean Ianto?" Gwen asked, looking back at the corridor from which Tosh had emerged, his eyes growing wider when she saw Jack carrying Ianto. "Jack! Are you ok?"

Jack's expression didn't change, nor did the coldness in his eyes warm when he glanced her way. "What part of keep your comms on don't you understand? Either of you?" While his tone was low, the hardness was as much a sign of his fury as his set jaw. "There had better be a damn good reason for it, or both of you are going to find yourselves in line for serious disciplinary actions!" He moved quickly down the steps into the autopsy bay and gently laid Ianto on the table, the blankets placed by Tosh hiding the cold steel. He stepped back to allow Owen to take his place, his eyes once more fixed on the broken and unconscious man. "He was down in one of the lower levels. I don't know what he was drinking or eating, it's freezing down there, and he's..." Jack's voice broke and he rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Another day or two and he would have died."

"He still might," Owen replied, his eyes sliding toward Jack and just as quickly away. "Tosh, take a few of those blankets and tuck round him as best you can. We need to get his body temperature up but gradually. Then take some of that..."

"What can I do?" Gwen interrupted, coming down to stand beside Jack. She placed her hand on his shoulder and began lightly rubbing it in small circles. "None of this is anyone's fault but his own," she sighed, "and I don't..."

"Gwen, right now I really have nothing to say to you," Jack growled through tightly clenched teeth. "It would best serve you to go back to your desk and try to come up with a few good reasons why you aren't spending the next week on unpaid suspension for disobeying a direct order to keep your comm on."

Owen, knowing that Jack was only sparing him from his anger because Ianto needed him, winced and hoped that for once in her life Gwen would shut her mouth and do as she was told. He couldn't stop the snort that escaped him when he heard her huff angrily. It did come as a shock when she simply stomped up the steps and across the Hub without actually opening her mouth. He only wished he had the same luxury, but right now he had no choice but to speak. "He should be in hospital, Jack."

"Not an option. You're a doctor, and you're always telling us how brilliant you are so prove it," Jack snapped. He moved to the other side of the table and adjusted the oxygen mask that was over Ianto's nose and mouth, his fingers tracing the prominent line of his cheekbone and slipping through the shaggy, tangled hair. "He can't die, Owen. I've already let him down so much, _we_ already let him down so much, I can't lose him this way."

Owen sighed and shook his head. His anger at Ianto's betrayal was colored by the certainty that Jack had hired him for nothing more than a willing and available bed partner and he had never had any respect at all for the young man. He had to admit that the Hub had never been cleaner, things they needed had never been easier to lay hands on, and when something was needed from that vile mess that had been their archives it actually could be found. And what he had thought was nothing more than lust seemed to be a bit deeper and for a fleeting moment he imagined that the monstrosity Ianto had hidden was Katie and he felt a stab of understanding. "Would you have done it?"

"For the reasons he did? I can't say I wouldn't have," Jack admitted, thinking of past lovers and friends that had made a huge impact on his life. "He didn't do it for power or money, he did it because he loved her too much to give up on her. Maybe she was really herself for a while, maybe it played on his emotions, but in all of it he only did what he thought would give him a chance, give her a chance, to be happy again. I'm not sure any of us have the right to judge him when all of us would - and have - gone beyond what could be called reasonable to try to help people we loved." He carded his fingers through Ianto's hair. "I know what he did was wrong Owen, and I wish he had trusted us from the beginning so things could have gone differently, but he was right. I paid attention to him because I wanted him, you and Gwen acted as if he was less than human, and it was only Tosh that seemed to give a damn about who he is. He didn't trust us, but did we ever give him reason to?"

Sliding the needle into the IV port he had established, Owen slowly injected a syringe full of antibiotics to try to combat the infection causing Ianto's fevered state. "I want to hate him, and maybe part if it is because he had the chance to..." Owen huffed loudly. "I thought you only hired him as an easy shag. I thought he was so fucked up in the head that he was willing to sell himself for a chance to stay with Torchwood and I guess that made me think he wasn't worth my time. I still am pissed at him about the Cyberwoman in the fucking basement, but I understand why you think he deserves a chance. I'm just not sure his mind can take it, Jack. He's already fucked up from Canary Wharf, now add this to it and I don't think we know everything about his medical history either. Sometimes you could see hints that there was more but honestly I didn't give enough of a toss to try to find out."

"I can try to find out more," Tosh offered. "Try to get into the NHS files and see if there were any problems not in his personnel file from One."

"Do that," Jack said, "and dig up what you can on his sister as well. I know there was more to the story than he told us from talking to her."

"Should I let her know we found him?"

"Not yet, not until..." Jack sighed. "Let's give him a few days to start getting better and then ask him what he wants to do."

Tosh quietly left to begin work on the files. Owen continued treating the still unconscious man, his brow furrowed as he considered what Jack had said. If there was indeed more to the story and it was bad enough that Ianto had made sure it was not part of his file it gave even more reason for him to have tried so hard to keep the one person who loved him alive. Still angry and not quite ready to admit that the niggles of guilt were getting stronger, Owen pushed down his doubts and concentrated on getting the young man back from the edge of death. The rest he'd deal with later.


	7. Chapter 7

**The reviews, the follows, that faves are really making me happy and I appreciate them from the bottom of my rotten little heart. Still don't own any of this though except the massive buckets of angst it's draped in.**

It seemed as though hours passed while Jack waited for Owen to tell him more, hours spent in trying to stay out of the way of the intense medic while still staying close enough to occasionally touch the still form to be sure it was real. Not only was he fighting the genuine fear of losing Ianto immediately after finally finding him he was still battling the harsh reality of responsibility for the condition of the man. No, he hadn't been the one who hid the half converted creature in the lower levels, but it had been his brutal words and actions that had completely...

"Jack?" Owen's voice snapped him back to the moment and he fixed narrowed eyes on the medic. Owen, knowing all too well that at some point he was going to be in deep shit for not following basic procedure and staying on the comm figured the best way to get around the worst of it was to keep Jack more worried about Ianto than him. "I've done what I can, the rest is up to him. I still think that being here isn't what he needs, they could..."

"Forget it. He stays here." Jack's voice was soft but strong. "We've ignored our responsibility to him more than enough, Owen."

"He needs..."

"Owen, right now I am trying to remember that he needs _you_ and that is the only thing stopping me from throwing your ass in the cell next to Janet and forgetting about you for the next thirty days and seeing what shape you're in at the end of it." Jack's tone was bitter, his hand shaking as it smoothed Ianto's filthy and tangled hair back from his brow. "Do your job. Without comment, without opinion. Just, for a change, _do your fucking job_." Owen bristled, the automatic response to that being a snarky comment and some nasty barbs but before he could even open his mouth Jack pointed a finger at him. "Think carefully, Owen. Think very carefully how you want this to go because I can promise you right now it is not looking good for you." While his words were quiet, there was no doubt that he was angry, his eyes cold as they pinned the medic in place.

"Jack?" Tosh's soft voice broke the tension slightly. "I think we should call Rhiannon and get her to just tell us what's not in his files." She came down the steps, stopping beside Ianto and sighing. "I know she gave you some information, but..."

"Fine. Call her. Tell her we found him but that he's ill and we need a complete medical history." Jack sighed. "She's going to want to see him. She knows about Torchwood, so you might as well have her come in. But make sure she knows that this time there will be no skirting round the edges of things. The truth, all of it."

Tosh nodded, hesitating only long enough to rest her hand lightly on Jack's shoulder for a moment before hurrying back to her desk to make the call.

-TW-

Gwen was fuming. Not only was Jack ignoring her but he had given permission for the sister to be allowed into Torchwood and had gone even further by sending her of all people up to the tourist office to wait for her arrival. She didn't see the point in any of this, Jones should be given Retcon and then dumped at the nearest hospital and left to recover or die on his own. Why Jack persisted in this self flagellation she didn't know, but maybe once the traitor - and he was a traitor, why everyone else seemed to forget that she didn't know - was better they could get back to doing what they were supposed to do and Jack could move on and forget this whole sordid business. Her head snapped up when the door opened to admit a woman, creases of worry marring her forehead. "I'm Rhiannon, I'm looking for..."

"I know who you are and this is complete rubbish," Gwen snapped. "Your brother brought this on himself and why..."

"Who the fuck are you?" Rhiannon slammed the door and leaned on the counter. "Bloody cow! Keep your opinions to yourself unless you want me to shove my fist so far down your throat it comes out your arse!"

"Making friends Gwen?" Tosh sounded far too amused for Gwen's liking. Rhiannon spun toward the voice, her eyes narrowing at the open wall and the slight woman standing there. "You must be Ianto's sister. If you'll come with me I'll take you to see him." She stepped back and waved Rhiannon through the door. "I'm Tosh."

"Ianto's mentioned you," Rhiannon said, ignoring the huff from Gwen and walking through the archway. "Said you've been decent to him. Seemed decent enough on the phone as well. Now where is my brother?"

"He's down here." Tosh indicated for Rhiannon to proceed her down the corridor. "I want you to know that he looks terrible, but we're doing everything we can to help him. Jack wants him here so our doctor can take care of him, so we can take care of him. He's been hiding..." She stopped talking and sighed as they stepped into the lift. "Please don't judge all of us by the behavior of one. He's my friend, and Jack cares far more than he has been willing to admit. Now, I'm not sure he can deny it, nor hide it." She glanced over at a silent and scowling Gwen when she joined them just before the door closed. "I know he changed his records and I could find them, but this is faster and it would help if we had some idea of what's in his past."

Rhiannon huffed, her eyes now fixed on Gwen. "Can't say I thought much of the pouncy git but he seemed to actually care about Ianto. And I know you do. From what he told me, that so called doctor of yours is more inclined to be a right wanker than he is to give a damn unless he's getting his leg over."

"I'll have you know Owen is an excellent doctor!" Gwen crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Rhiannon. "Your..._brother_ doesn't deserve our loyalty. He endangered me, I mean us, because he brought his half metal girlfriend in here and she got loose! He committed treason and for that he should be executed!"

Much to Tosh's surprise - and Gwen's annoyance - Rhiannon burst out laughing. "Wow, you actually have to put up with this self-righteous cow? Ianto told me she claims to be the heart and conscience of this place but spends most of her time trying to eye fuck the Captain and get the attention of the other while telling all of you how wonderful the stupid bastard she lives with is."

Luckily the lift stopped and the door opened before Gwen could stop looking like a dying fish and Tosh was able to get Rhiannon moving toward the cog door. Didn't mean she was able or willing to stop the burst of giggles that kept escaping, nor did it change the fact that she had decided she liked Rhiannon Davies, in fact she liked her a lot.

-TW-

Tosh was sort of grateful that Jack was so caught up in Ianto that he missed the more or less non-reaction Rhiannon had to the Hub. Apart from a few muttered phrases in Welsh and a rather long, interested look at Myfanwy when she made an appearance, there was nothing that made the whole thing seem any more interesting than a morning trip to the corner shop. They might be a "secret" organization (if one discounted the run over everything leader in the WWII greatcoat and the massive smarmy grin as well as the huge and imposing SUV with flashing blue lights and "Torchwood" in full view on the panels) but Jack did love the reaction to the massive underground wonder that was their base and he took it a bit (well, maybe a bit more than a bit) personally if there wasn't at least ten seconds of awe.

Then again, Ianto hadn't been all that impressed either so maybe it was a Jones thing.

"Cor, this place is a right tip isn't it? No one familiar with the reasons for bins or what?"

Yep, definitely a Jones thing.

The normalcy of it though, the whole "so much like Ianto" of it, brought a sting of tears to Tosh's eyes. "He takes care of us. He does so much and while we saw it, we took it for granted." She took Rhiannon's arm to guide her to the med bay. "I know you're going to be angry when you see him but please remember that Jack has been looking for him and that he never gave up hope that he'd find him."

"Oh my God," she breathed as they reached the steps leading down into the pit and got her first look at her brother. She pulled away from Tosh and clung to the rail as she stepped carefully downward, her eyes huge and fixed on the far too still figure. "Ianto?" she breathed, her brother's name whispered like a prayer. "What's happened? What's been done to you?" Movement from Jack caught her eye but the redirection was brief. She heard him say something but it was a white noise in her ears, all her focus on what honestly looked more corpse than living thing. "Why is he not in hospital?"

"Here he can get the dedicated care he needs, and honestly we have things that the NHS has never heard of." Jack shook his head, not giving up his place nor his grip on Ianto's hand when she moved closer. "Please Rhiannon, we need to know everything so we can take proper care of him. So he can get better, so Owen doesn't miss anything that he needs."

"I told you," she hissed, her fingers working carefully through the snarled clumps of hair, "I told you that what he had already survived would have made him able to stand up to anything you threw at him but somehow you've broken him. What that disaster in London, Mam, Tad, the bullies, even me couldn't do to him you did. Why should I think that you really give a damn about helping him? I thought there was a genuine caring about you when I talked to you before but this...you broke him! From what I see you've killed his spirit and after everything he's gone through in this miserable excuse for a life I didn't think anyone could." She was crying now, but the fury in her eyes was in no way diminished by the tears.

"You think I don't know that?" Jack growled, trying to keep his voice quiet and nearly spitting the words through his teeth with the effort. "I have no illusions about my part in this, and I intend to do everything I can to make things right." He turned his head, his eyes once more fixed on the still face. "Rhiannon, I can't change what happened. And while I have a great deal I have to answer for in the situation Ianto is not blameless. It was his actions that created the circumstances and he has things he needs to answer for as well."

She moved to stand at the other side of the table, carefully lifting Ianto's hand and holding it gently in hers. "So explain this to me. Without the jokes and the smiles and bloody lies, explain to me why my brother would rather have died than face you. Why he would have hidden himself until he was in this state rather than go to you. Why, if he means so much to you, that you didn't see beyond the surface and help him."

"Jack! You can't be thinking of telling her anything are you?" Gwen's fingernails dug into his arm. "Why would you think you could trust her any more than you could trust him?"

Owen, knowing that Gwen had pretty much pushed the line as far as possible without getting either retconned or ending up in the cells, grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the steps. "Come on, I need a coffee. You can go with me." He glanced back at Jack. "Any changes you phone me straight away. If he twitches, sneezes or sits up and sings the bloody Welsh anthem, you fucking ring me. Got it?"

"Get her out of here," Jack snapped, "and make sure if she comes back she knows that I am at the end of my patience with the attitude." Whatever Gwen's response to that may have been was cut off by Owen's hand clamping over her mouth as he shoved her out of the med bay and across the hub toward the door. Tosh, still leaning on the railing above them, rolled her eyes and turned with a heavy sigh to go back to her desk, leaving Rhiannon and Jack alone with Ianto. "It's just us now, so tell me. You come clean with me and I'll do my best to explain this to you. Just know that a lot of what I am going to tell you is so far beyond secret that normally I'd have to give you a drug to make you forget. I'm still not sure I won't have to but I felt I was able to trust you when we spoke before, I brought you in here, and I am almost positive that it was all the right thing to do. But no more secrets, I want to know everything."

"He's not going to like that I've told you. He's going to be furious with me." She used her free hand to brush away the tears from her cheeks. "Just...we didn't do right by him either. Not at all."

Jack closed his eyes and braced himself for what was to come.


	8. Chapter 8

**Still not mine, and still riding high on the massive support I've been given for this. **

The silence was broken by the hum of machines and Myfanwy's soft croons from her nest until Rhiannon sighed and began. "He's come so far to get away from all this. I'll give you an overall of things and then if you want to ask I'll answer. But this is hard. I'm betraying him, my parents and even myself to tell you this." She raised her eyes to stare at Jack. "You'd best mean it, or so help me I will find a way to make your life hell."

"Just help us to help him, Rhiannon. Help _me_ to help him."

She nodded, here gaze once more on Ianto's too still form. "Mam wasn't right. I don't mean she wasn't...I guess you would say she had depression. And a few other things. Sometimes she'd forget where she was and who we were, and when she did most of the time she'd hide but other times she get mean. Really mean. Hated everything, but in particular she hated Ianto. He was just a kid, no more than five or six when it got so bad that when she'd get in a mood we'd have to physically restrain her to keep her from him. She'd scream at him, which was bad enough, but when it got really bad she'd corner him and slap him." Rhiannon looked away, her eyes losing focus as she remembered. "Slapped, kicked, spit..." She sighed heavily and shook her head. "He tried to stay out of her way when she got like that but there were only so many places he could go. She blamed him for everything, blamed him for her being sick, blamed him for making her cry, blamed him for her being cold. It was always his fault, and he didn't know what to do. He loved her, and he was fierce in his protection of her when the other kids would start."

Still holding Ianto's hand, Jack used his other to lightly stroke the pale cheek of the sleeping man. "He loves hard."

"He loves completely. Even when Mam was being so cruel to him that he'd be in tears he would never let anyone say a bad word about her. When she finally snapped and ended up at Providence Park, he was the one who always wanted to go see her. She was so awful to him, blamed him for her being locked up when she knew him and when she didn't it wasn't much better. But he went every week with Tad, and at some point Tad started to blame him as well. When I left home...you would have thought it couldn't get any worse but it did. Tad drank, and Tad was a mean drunk, and he blamed Ianto for Mam. He'd slap him, shove him, sometimes he'd get so angry a punch or a kick." Rhiannon scrubbed the tears off her cheeks. "I don't know if I'm right about this, but there were times when...I think Tad was touching him. Using him to replace Mam. He would never give me a real answer, he'd just say it didn't matter now that Tad was dead. But when Mam died I know the beatings got worse. When Tad died, he just seemed so relieved that it was done. I tried to keep him here but he ran to London. He didn't like London itself, but then he got that job and met Lisa."

"Things got better?"

Rhiannon snorted. "Better? I'm not sure they got better but at least no one was blaming him for everything and making him feel like he didn't matter. And he loved her, said she was the first person who loved him and didn't have to. Not that those who were supposed do did much of a job of that in the first place. I wanted to meet her but he wanted nothing to do with Wales at that point, said it was too many bad memories. So I didn't push, but he was at least phoning me every week or so and when I rang him he actually answered the phone. Then those bloody ghosts things started and everything went to shit. He told me to be careful and if they showed up in the house or round the kids to leave until they were gone. He didn't trust them and neither did I, I mean come on, why would everyone's sainted Mam or Tad or Uncle Huw be coming back for a visit all of a sudden and popping back at a certain time as well. So I did, and none appeared in the house but enough did round at my neighbors that when it got to be time for those ruddy things to show up I had the kids and me locked in the pantry. When everything went to shit..." She shook her head. "Took me more than a week to finally get him to pick up his ruddy phone and when he did he was broken. Shattered. Everything that Mam and Tad put him through, all the fucking things that went on, I had never heard him so worn out and broken."

Tosh, who had come back to stand at the rail surrounding the bay remained silent once more forcing Jack to respond. "That's when I met him." Both he and Rhiannon started at the sound of the door alarms, Owen and Gwen appearing with coffees for everyone. Owen brought Jack's and Rhiannon's down into the bay and went to study the monitors as Gwen took up a place beside Tosh.

Rhiannon's bark of laughter startled them all. "No Captain, you met him before, in London." At the frown that appeared on Jack's face she snorted and shook her head. "Forgotten already? You were there fighting with Yvonne Hartman and were trying to get something out of the archives. When you stormed in there with her on your heels, Ianto jumped up, not sure what was going on. Instead of saying anything to him about what you needed you made a comment about her paid mindless lackeys and shouldered him out of your way. Knocked him back into the shelves hard enough that you split the skin on his shoulder blade. Not sure if the scar can still be seen with the rest of the damage." She rolled her eyes when both Jack and Owen looked at her with shocked eyes. "You've got to be kidding me! Didn't you even look at him when he came here?" Her eyes shot toward Owen. "You're a fucking doctor and you mean to tell me you didn't bother to notice the fucking scarring on his back, shoulder and leg?" When Owen didn't answer, instead just adverted his gaze, she huffed an annoyed breath. "None of you gave a damn about him. None of you cared one whit for what he'd been through."

"He got in here with his metal monster girlfriend and damn neared killed us all!" Gwen snarled from above, her hands gripping the railing so hard her knuckles were white. "Why should we feel guilty about what he's been through when he almost killed me! Us, I mean us!"

"Gwen! Open your mouth once more and you will go in the cells!" Jack's tone left no doubt he meant what he said, but it was Rhiannon's reaction that made the biggest impact.

"You selfish bitch! You think you're so high and mighty and they all want you but you'd best be aware of something you heifer! Think long and carefully where that man you supposedly love so much grew up! Think about the Estate, and how he spent the first fifteen years of his life there! And guess what? We grew up right down the sodding street from him! One more word out of you, one more remark about Ianto, one more stupid thing to drip past your lips and me and Rhys Williams will be having a hell of a catch up! A good long natter about how his supposed to be loving girlfriend is doing her best to shag her boss and the doctor she works with, and I'll get three or four of those blokes from the force you were putting out for to back me up! So shut it you twat before you're on the fucking street where you belong!" Seeing the stunned look on the other three's faces she shrugged. "Rhys is a good one, loves her to death but he's an idiot. Can't see what she really is even when it's right in front of him. Have to say we all figured that you hired this slag because you heard about her since she had no skills other than that."

"He hired me for my humanity and my heart!" Gwen shouted.

"Well you are all about that humanity as long as there is something dangling between their legs," Rhiannon fired back. "And heart? If that wasn't so sad I'd laugh." She turned back to Jack. "Keep her away from my brother. This has nothing to do with Torchwood mind you, this is about him. He doesn't need her kind of humanity. And if she's here to be a bed warmer for you then you stay away from him too. He doesn't need to be hurt anymore."

Jack was stunned by what Rhiannon had said about Gwen although her behavior lent weight to the words. "This is about Ianto, no one else. Could we go back to him now? You said he was scarred, is that from Canary Wharf or...?"

"Both. Mam used a belt one time to hit him and got his leg. Left a couple bad cuts that scarred. His back, that's from Tad and Canary Wharf. Tad with his belt and I think he actually made some of the long ones that run straight down with his fingernails. When he was drunk he was strong and mean. Some also came from when he was trying to get to Lisa and he had to push past some broken cables and the sharp edges of the metal cut him. His shoulder is from then too, he had a piece of metal stuck to his skin and the ridges inside it left scarred lines."

"Metal?" Owen snarled. "He was partially converted too?"

"No, the marks on his shoulder are from a vent or something," Jack explained, "I saw them when he was changing his shirt after cleaning up some mess down here. I never asked him about them though because when he saw me looking he hurried to finish dressing and then left. I'm not proud to say I forgot about it, but I never saw his back or his leg. Why didn't you notice them or at least make a note of the scarring when you examined him when he first came here, Owen?"

"Well, see, we're back to that now," Rhiannon said, taking grim pleasure in the slightly panicked look on the medic's face. "Had a talk with Ianto about that myself I did, seems that even though his back and shoulder were still hurting him so bad when he was given his exam by your good doctor here it was nothing more than a violent jab to draw blood and a fuck off. Oh, and several comments about deserving whatever he got after killing all those people. When Ianto tried to tell him he had nothing to do with the shifts and that he was in pain he was told no one gave a damn. Well, you might Jack, if it stopped you from shagging him at your convenience." She looked round at them. "Every one he knew, all his friends, dead because of the ego of the stupid cunt he worked for. His life in ruins, his body damaged, and all he got from you lot was indifference and ignorance. Well, except Tosh. He talked about how sweet and caring Tosh was. He also talked about you Jack, but he was terrified of you. He said you hated him because of One. He knew that you would have sex with him, but he was even afraid to reach out for that bit of comfort because he thought you would take out the hatred on him in bed as well. And despite everything he's been through Ianto does not like pain."

As badly as Jack wanted to turn to Owen and rip his head off he couldn't. It would be nothing short of hypocritical considering he had just sat there and admitted to seeing the scars and doing nothing, not even saying anything to Owen. He could be peeved over the attitude though, and Owen found those cold blue eyes fixed on him again. "We will talk. Again, I'm not blameless but you're the damn doctor, Owen." Jack lifted Ianto's hand to his mouth and rested his lips gently on the bruised and torn skin. "See? You have to get better if for no other reason than to enjoy all the bellowing I'm going to do on your behalf, including at myself. Plus, by the time this is done I'm betting you may well get to see Rhiannon kicking me and everyone else, except Tosh, is the ass. Come on Ianto, you know that's worth waking up for."

Perhaps he thought it was for both Jack and Rhiannon felt a slight increase in pressure from Ianto's fingers curled round theirs and then after several soft sounds his eyes fluttered open.


	9. Chapter 9

**I was asked how far into the series this was going to go and I answered that my plan was to take this through the reintroduction of Ianto to the team and the foundation of Jack and Ianto's relationship. Hadn't planned beyond that as I didn't know if anyone would be bothered to read this. So, I think I might go further and I hope a few or all of you will still be interested. As always, I am so grateful for your continued support.**

Luckily the first person Ianto seemed to focus on was his sister and while there was quite a bit of confusion the desperate fright was contained. "Rhi?" he rasped, the mask carrying oxygen and the weakness of his body making the sound even less than a whisper but it was the harsh rasp of the word that made her wince.

"You're safe, Yan," she told him, pushing down the urge to grab him and run, "I promise you, no matter what you see, that you're safe."

He might have believed her but it still didn't stop the involuntary cringe and moan that occurred when he saw Owen behind her. His breathing worsened and each exhale was accompanied by a soft whistle as he struggled to sit up. His head turned and he saw Jack, the whistling noise getting louder and mixed in with it were soft whimpers as he tried to pull free from Jack's grip. Too weak to do so he quickly exhausted himself and slumped back on the table, tears leaking from his eyes as he shuddered violently.

Jack was on his feet, Ianto's hand still clutched in his. "Listen to me, Ianto." He kept his voice low and soft, the tone even and gentle. "You're safe. No one, and I mean no one, is going to hurt you. We've been looking for you since..." He stopped when he saw Ianto cringe. "I'm so sorry, Ianto, I am so sorry for the things I said and the way things happened. I had to do what I did, but the way it happened was wrong. We'll talk more, we've got lots of things to talk about, but right now I just want you to get better. I'm going to let Owen take a look at you and then we're going to give you some time with Rhiannon. Then, after you've slept and eaten something, you and I will talk. But I promise you, we'll talk. Nothing is going to happen. Do you understand?" Whether or not he understood, some of the terror faded from Ianto's eyes and he nodded. Jack smiled and brought their joined hands up to brush a soft kiss over Ianto's knuckles before gently placing it on his chest and letting go. Stepping back, he looked at Owen, telling the medic without words that no ignorance would be tolerated. Knowing he was already on very thin ice, Owen acknowledged the message with a short, sharp jerk of his head and then moved to take Jack's place.

"Right then Teaboy..."

"He has a name," Rhiannon hissed, "use it."

"Well then, _Ianto_, I need you to tell me exactly how you feel and what hurts. Don't try and gloss over anything, last thing I want is Jack having my balls because you didn't tell me you had a hangnail."

Jack caught Rhiannon's arm. "This is normal for him," he explained before she could carry out the murderous plans that could clearly be seen in her eyes. "He's a prat, and Ianto knows it. If he acted nice it would probably make things worse." He eased her back from the table. "Believe me, I am not going to let anything happen to make things harder on him. I am still angry over the circumstances, but the first thing that needs to be dealt with is Ianto's health. When he's better, we'll address the issues that got us here but no one is going to make it worse for him right now. Even if they thought about it, I'm sure the idea of what you and Tosh would do to them is enough to make them think twice." He gave her the lesser version of his cheeky grin and was relieved to see her lips twitch in return. "And yes, I am including myself in that. I've seen what Tosh can do with a pair of heels and if you are anything like your brother I'm thinking you have a pretty decent right hook."

The scratchy sound of Ianto's weakened voice distracted them and returned their focus to the man on the table. "Hurt...everywhere," he rasped. "Breathe...hard to..." He coughed, his body curling upwards with the force. "Heavy, like..." His voice petered out and his eyes drifted closed.

"Right, that's what I figured." Owen moved to the open cupboard and searched through a shelf filled with vials until he found what he was looking for. "Jack, we need to get him in a better place. An actual bed would be good, warmer, and easier to control the lighting. After being..." He hesitated and glanced at Rhiannon. "It was pretty much dark all the time where he was so I'm sure the light is giving him a worse headache than he already has. I want him somewhere comfortable but close enough that if I need to get to him immediately I can."

"What about the first storage room?" Tosh suggested. "It's almost empty so we can move out what we need but I don't know where we're going to get a proper bed unless you use one of the camp beds." She bit her lip when Owen shook his head. "Or can we just go buy one?'

"You can." Jack charged up the steps, leaving all the of them - except for a once more sleeping Ianto - staring after him as he bounded across the Hub and up to his office. The slam of a drawer and he returned. handing Tosh a credit card before jumping back down the steps and resuming his place next to Rhiannon. "Bed, linens, duvet, whatever we need. Owen, what do we need?"

"Clothes might be a good thing," Rhiannon offered. "If you want, I can go with Tosh since I know what sizes. Although I hate to leave him, and if I do am I going to have to go through the same annoying bleating to get back in?"

"No bleating, I swear." Jack couldn't help the little bubble of laughter that escaped at Gwen's annoyed huff. "Whatever you think he needs, get it. He's going to be pretty much confined to bed, so maybe something to do when he feels better? Books? He likes to read doesn't he?"

"Where do you suppose his things are? His extra suits, all the stuff from his flat?" Tosh asked.

"We'll have to wait until he can tell us." Jack clapped his hands and grinned at first Rhiannon and then Tosh. "Go. Take the SUV, you should be able to strap the bed to the top if you can't get it inside. Call when you're back and we'll come out and help."

Rhiannon went and kissed Ianto's forehead. "I'll ring my husband too and let him know that I'll be home when I can. I won't tell him anything; he knows Ianto's ill and I'm with him and that's all he'll ask." She looked at Jack. "I still don't know if I trust you completely, I know I don't trust him," she flicked a glare at Owen, "but he seems to be a decent doctor. Tosh, I trust. And as for the other, don't let her near my brother or so help me I will make earrings out of your bollocks, Captain."

With that, she swept up the steps and took Tosh's arm, leading the giggling tech toward the door.

-TW-

Jack wanted to use the time that Rhiannon was with Tosh to do two things. One, to go back to where they found Ianto and see if he could figure out how Ianto had remained alive, and two he really wanted to hear what kind of reasoning the other two could come up with for not only disobeying an order about keeping their comm on but also to do it for something as trivial and meaningless as a game of basketball. Figuring that going down to the sub level could be done quickly, he told Owen where he would be and warned him to keep his comm on and let Jack know if Ianto woke up again, told Gwen to start moving the things out of the storage room and clean it in preparation for Ianto's stay, and then grabbed a torch and headed back down. He made a stop in the archives, easily finding what he wanted and feeling another pang in his chest as he thought about why it was so easy to find. He took a moment to look round, seeing the progress made in the mess of alien and human remnants, order beginning to arrive in the chaos that was Torchwood. He sighed, once more promising himself that things would be different, that he would make a solid, honest team out of the people he had chosen to make a difference in the madness. With that decided, he left, flicking off the light and pulling the heavy door closed before heading deeper into the base.

Knowing where he was going and why he made much quicker time and soon found himself standing in the entrance to the room, his eyes fixed on the discarded rags where Ianto had lain. Tucking his torch under his arm, he crouched to set the artifact he'd taken in the center of the room, pressing a indentation on the side and standing as it took on a soft glow. He untucked the torch and switched it off, setting it down as well and backing up to wait until the device hit full power. When it did, the entire room was illuminated but a soft bluish light and he was able to get his first good look at the horrors Ianto had faced. Swallowing heavily he went to the bed of rags, carefully moving them aside in search of the secrets of Ianto's survival. He saw the ragged ball of cloth, touching it and finding it damp, and realized that was how Ianto had gotten water. Seepage was present at several places in the room but one of the most prolific drips was right beside the resting place and Jack had no doubt it was the one most frequently used. He saw another bundle and picked it up to see a torn sleeve, the end knotted. He felt the odd shape and could feel the shifting of what was inside and although he wasn't sure he wanted to know he carefully upended the makeshift container and had to bite back the near sob when what he easily recognized the dry chunks as what they mixed with the meat to feed the Weevils. It was then he noticed the scratches on the wall and wondered if they were marking put there to show the passing of time or were they simply there to show whoever found him that Ianto had survived until the illness and starvation won the battle. In those marks he realized that for a time Ianto had been able to leave this Hell, to find his way back, and something had kept him here.

Was it the pain of losing Lisa?

Was it the knowledge that he had betrayed his teammates?

Was it his fear that all that waited for him was Retcon or death?

It struck him then. Ianto had stayed here to die. Despite the anger and the pain and the fear, he had been willing to end his life alone in the dark. What he hadn't been willing to do was live. What he hadn't been willing to do was forget. Overwhelmed by it all, feeling as if he had utterly failed Ianto on every level, Jack fell back against the wall and closed his eyes.

-TW-

When he made it back upstairs - after another stop in the archives to return the lighting device and retrieve two small alien heaters - Jack stuck his head over the railing of the med bay to see if Ianto was still sleeping and once established he was continued on to the storage room to see how Gwen was progressing. He was surprised to see she had actually moved out the crates and boxes that were in there and was half-heartedly pushing a broom round the floor. When she saw him she made an effort to appear slightly more interested but it was obvious she was very unhappy. Not bothered by that, Jack set the small oddly shaped heaters in opposite corners and then grabbed a rag, wrapping it round the bristles of a second broom and using it to sweep the walls.

"Jack, I still think..."

"Apparently not very often. Not only did you not bother to keep your comm on earlier you have been more than a little stroppy ever since. I really am not happy with either you or Owen at this point, Gwen, so I suggest you do your job and make me a happy boss so maybe I forget the fact I'd like to send you home on unpaid suspension for the next thirty days." He heard her huff, the scrapping of the broom over the floor a little louder as she took her annoyance out on it. He grinned to himself, whatever got the job done was fine by him. He had finished the walls and was on his way back to the main Hub when Tosh called to let him know she and Rhiannon had just entered the garage.


	10. Chapter 10

**My thanks, as always, for the comments that have been left. After leaving fanfic for several years you have given me a new passion for it and I am forever grateful. Now I will stop blabbing and let you get to the much more interesting stuff. And nope, still trying to figure out how to buy them with a piece of lint, a penny candy and a few thousand dustbunnies as currency.**

They left Rhiannon with Ianto while they carried the purchases through the Hub and into the storage room. To no one's surprise, Tosh ended up shoving the men out of the way to assemble the frame, simply ordering them to get the bedding into the washer (which was another whole comedy of errors until Rhiannon made Jack go sit with Ianto while she handled the laundry). Owen was then relegated to getting Ianto cleaned up with Gwen playing fetch and carry for everyone until somehow, the bed was made with freshly laundered bedding, the tables and lamps were in place, Ianto was dressed in clean, soft pajamas, and the television and DVD player Tosh had thought to pick up were plugged in and ready to go. A stack of books on the table beside the bed, a stack of films next to the player and the only thing left to do was move Ianto into the room. He had woken briefly while Jack and Owen were getting him dressed but he had fallen back to sleep, so instead of waiting Jack simply picked him up and carried him to the waiting bed while Owen carried the IV pole and oxygen canister. Once there, he tucked him carefully in while Owen arranged the various bags of fluid and made sure the IV hadn't slipped, Tosh brought a pitcher of water with a glass and straw, and Rhiannon settled herself back in beside him.

Only then did Jack allow himself to take a deep breath and fix his team with a glare. "Boardroom." He waited until they had left before bending to kiss Ianto's forehead. Straightening, he put a hand on Rhiannon's shoulder. "We'll order some food. I'll send Tosh to get you when it arrives and we'll talk about how things are going to go until he's well enough to straighten out what's gone on. And I mean all of it, including his flat and his finances, and why he never let any of us know it had gotten so out of hand. I know we didn't do well by him, but if he had come to me and told me he was losing his home I would never have let it happen."

Rhiannon gave him a sardonic grin. "Right, good luck to you on that. He's not exactly a mine of information when things aren't going well. No so much even when they are."

"We all need to learn better communications," Jack agreed. "Relax, and if he wakes up just say something. This room is monitored so we can hear you."

"Thanks for saying, that way when I tell him what I think of you lot you can get it firsthand," she laughed. Suddenly her face sobered and she sighed. "Look, I know he didn't do things right, but there really isn't a more loyal man that I've ever known. Don't forget that."

Jack kissed the top of her head. "Never," he promised. With that, he left her alone with her brother while he went to have a long overdue conversation with his team.

-TW-

Three sets of eyes greeting him when he walked though the door. Once filled with defiance, one filled with concern and one filled with a mixture of exhaustion and resign. Jack took his seat, rubbing his hands briskly over his face and then through his hair before leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table. "First things first, we need to order food. Tosh, could you take care of that? Chinese would be good although I forgot to ask Rhiannon what she likes."

"Same as Ianto," Tosh said, taking her phone out and searching through her contacts for the number. "He told me once that they used to fight over the last spring rolls and black pepper chicken." She stood, stepping away from the table as she dialed.

"Owen, exactly what is the status of Ianto's health?"

"Massive chest infection. Malnourished. Dehydrated. Infection in his right ear and his eyes. Soreness and rash over most of his body. He's been down there in the cold and damp for weeks, Jack. I really don't know how he survived. He's gotten enough water to keep his kidneys from shutting down but I'm not sure they won't be an issue at some point in time. His fingernails are ripped and torn, the best thing I could do for all the topical stuff is dip him in a bloody vat of antibiotic cream but as we can't do that I'll treat each bit the best I can. Mentally? I have no idea." He sighed and slumped back in the chair. "I'm a twat, Jack. I know it, I admit it. I am not going to be able to keep my mouth from getting the best of me at some point. I'm still really fucking angry. But..." He trailed off and looked at the wall, his eye losing focus. "To survive what he did, I have to admire him. Not just here, but his entire fucking life has been one slam after another. I know what that does..." He looked round, color flooding his face. "I'm going to do my best as a doctor. As a person I can't promise a thing."

Tosh had rejoined them at that point and looked none too happy with Owen's comment. "What gives you the right to judge him? You've never given him a chance, Owen, not from the first time he walked through that door. You and Suzie both were as ignorant to him as you could possibly be." Her eyes flicked toward Gwen. "You weren't any better. None of you saw him as anything more than a servant. Someone Jack hired for sex. You called him a murderer, a killer; you accused him of being a part of that whole fiasco at One. And don't try saying anything about how now it's justified, because the incident with Lisa was nothing like that. This was a man, in love, and desperate to save her. He told me she had been the one good thing in his life. The one person who didn't want him to be anything but who he is. Who didn't blame him when their life wasn't what they wanted. His father abused him because of his mother. His mother abused him because he was born. Suzie abused him because she though he was a threat to her status with Jack. And you abused him because you are an immature, self-centered twat who makes yourself feel better by making everyone else feel worse."

Owen's jaw was practically on the table, Gwen looked like a fish and Jack was cringing for the explosion.

Tosh, however, was not done. "You," she now focused on Gwen, "seem to feel that you are above all of us. That because you have a so called life outside of here that makes you more important and special. News for you sweetheart, when you spend your day making cow eyes at your male co-workers - except of course for the one you feel beneath you - you aren't important or special, you're a self-centered cow with no morals. Not a please or a thank you. Get me this, find that, make me a coffee, and oh by the way fix my jacket after all you fix Jack's coat." Tosh rolled her eyes when Jack sputtered. "Didn't know that they had Ianto dealing with their clothes as well then? Which brings us to you. I bet you could describe, in detail, just which of Ianto's suits makes his arse look best. I bet you can tell me which side he wears 'it' to. Before this happened, you couldn't have told me Rhia's name. You couldn't, in fact you still probably can't, tell me how old Ianto is or exactly how long he worked for One. You couldn't have told me anything about who he is. Where he came from, other than Wales. If he lived in Grangetown or Splott." She shook her head. "I am not going to listen to any of you talk about him with anything less than compassion. I am not going to let either you," she pointed to Owen, "or you," then to Gwen, "make him any more miserable than you have managed to do up until now. I know what he did was dangerous. I know what he did wasn't the smartest thing. But none of you gave him any reason to trust that you would lift a finger to help him." She sat back in her chair. '

"Easy for you to forgive him after all you weren't the one who was nearly converted!" Gwen spat at Tosh.

Tosh opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by Jack. "Wait, I am not going to allow this to degenerate into a shouting match. While you have legitimate points, Ianto is not without blame in this. It was his choice to hide her without telling us and we really had no choice but to end the threat as we did."

"None of what I said painted Ianto as blameless in the situation with Lisa." Tosh snorted when Jack flinched. "You hate having her referred to by name don't you? That's what I mean Jack, none of you see her as human, as a woman who fell in love with Ianto, who lived with him, slept with him. You use what she became to ignore what she was. And none of that had anything to do with the treatment of a co-worker. Owen ignoring what I told him about Ianto's health. Gwen thinking he was not only her personal valet, but expecting him to do the paperwork she couldn't be bothered with. You, panting after him and ignoring the fact that half the time he was so ill and in pain he could barely stand." She stood when her phone beeped. "I'm going to get the food."

Owen was still staring after her when Gwen rounded on Jack. "How can you let her speak to me...to you like that! It's not our fault that Ianto lied and used us! It's not our fault he spent all his money on trying to help that...that..._thing_ rather than pay his bloody bills! Why should we feel sorry for him because he had some problems when he was a child? He's a bloody adult now and he needs to take responsibility for his actions and behavior!"

"Like you did for the sex gas alien?" Even Owen looked surprised at what came out of his mouth. "Or me for the alien pheromone spray? We all do things that we should feel responsible for but..."

"That was an accident! I didn't mean to let that alien out!"

"And Ianto had no intention of doing anyone harm. All he wanted to was save his girlfriend." Owen smirked and shook his head. "Bloody Tosh. She makes you think."

"Enough. Bottom line is this. I think what Ianto has been through is more than enough punishment for any wrongs we feel. Do I still intend to have a long talk with him about priorities? You bet I do. Am I going to make him feel any worse than he does? Probably, however unintentionally it might be. But it will not be deliberate cruelty, nor will it be to make myself feel more 'right' than he does. If I hear any of you degrading, attacking or talking to him as if he is less a member or less important to this team than you are, I will address it. What happened here was an incident brought about by unquestionable motives to save someone he loved. While it wasn't the most thought through or reasonable act, it had nothing to do with the actions of Yvonne Hartman and the rest of those fools at One. There will be no more rude and ignorant comments about the people that worked there. If you have something you feel needs to be said, tell it to Janet. Tosh is right about a lot of things, including the fact that most of Ianto's friends worked with him and had nothing to do with the shifts. We needs to remember what he lost. We need to remember that most of the people there were simply doing their job that day and their families lost as well. I hate what Yvonne stood for, but we can not and will not continue to blame Ianto," They heard the sirens announcing Tosh's return. "On another note, if I ever tell you to leave your comm on and you completely ignore the order it will be the last thing that you ever do at Torchwood. I could have been hurt, Tosh could have been hurt, anything could have happened and we could have been trapped or dying and neither of you would have been any good to us. Incidentally, deliberate endangerment of a fellow operative like that? By the guidelines, I could execute you for dereliction of duty. And I haven't. Same as I did not execute Ianto. I can accept mistakes, what I can not and will not accept is blatant disregard for my orders as the leader of this team. Got it? Oh, and last but not least. Ianto is not nor ever will be responsible for the cleaning and repairing of your clothes. He does take care of me and my coat, but that is _his_ choice. Now, let's get Rhiannon up here and figure out what we're going to do." He stood, deciding to go down and get her rather than sending Tosh.

Left in the boardroom, the other three watched the monitor as Rhiannon sat beside the sleeping man.


	11. Chapter 11

**Just a few words here about my writing of Gwen. In watching the show, I found her to be almost a caricature of a person rather than an actual human. She always reminded me of a walking Mary Sue on the show because she never suffered the consequences of her screw ups, she was portrayed as being the heart and humanity, yet she was a sneaky, immature, unfaithful wench. So, while it might show a bit strong in how I write her, that's the reason. Will she get better later on? Maybe, in fact in some ways yes. Wills he ever be the sympathetic bleeding heart that RTD claimed she was? Nope. Not in my world. Now, on we go and thanks for the continued support. :)**

"Rhiannon?"

She must have heard him coming as she didn't do more than turn her head. "He's still sleeping." She looked back at Ianto's still face. "Should we leave him alone?"

"I'll have Tosh turn the sound up so we can hear if he gets restless. Has he been coughing or anything?"

"Not really, the oxygen seems to be helping a great deal with his breathing but you can hear the sounds in his chest. He's so ill, Jack. He's so ill and he must have been so afraid."

"I'm sure he was." Jack came closer and crouched next to the bed, reaching out to smooth the tangled hair off Ianto's brow. "It's not going to be easy or an immediate fix but he will get though this. If I have to drag him kicking and screaming to a better place I will."

"Make sure he knows he hasn't let you down. That you don't feel he's not worth saving." She smiled up at Jack when he rose. "Now I am starving. Where's the bloody food?"

Laughing, he offered his arm to lead her to the boardroom where the rest waited.

-TW-

Tosh had been correct about the food choices. Once everything was passed round and all had tucked in, Jack began the discussion. "We can't keep Ianto here indefinitely. I'm not sure how he's going to feel about us setting everything up without asking, but I'm hoping that Rhiannon's input will make him a little less likely to put me on decaf."

"You could put him in a broom closet and he wouldn't complain." Rhiannon looked round the table with narrowed eyes. "He's going to do everything he can to vanish. Not literally, but he'll be a shadow that passes by doing his job. He's sensitive to emotions, he always seems to know..."

"Oh goddess," Jack breathed, "he's an empath? How was that not in his records?"

"Not sure what one of those is so I can't answer that." Rhiannon frowned at the expressions on Jack, Tosh and Owen's faces. "Is it bad?"

"No, but it explains a lot," Owen said, dropping his chopsticks beside the container of prawns and rice he had been eating. "We certainly keep finding new ways of having buggered things up."

Jack, his appetite gone, got to his feet. "I can't do this now. I'm going to go sit with Ianto. Tosh, can you escort Rhiannon to her car when she's finished? You can head home yourself then. Gwen, clean up this before you go for the night. Owen, you can leave but make sure your phone is on." Ignoring any protests or comments directed his way, Jack left the boardroom and headed for the room where Ianto was sleeping, taking a moment to mute the CCTV on the way.

"So what's an empath?"

Tosh gave Rhiannon a weak smile. 'Someone who is sensitive to moods and emotions. They can't read your mind but a lot of the times, if the empathy is strong, they can anticipate what you want or need. Ianto's been good at that; always seeming to know when Jack needs an extra strong coffee, or when I need a chocolate biscuit. It's kind of a knowing anticipation." She glanced at Owen. "Medically, Owen needs to explain."

"It can't hurt him. But then again it can." Owen snorted loudly. "If you're round an empath and all you have are negative emotions like anger or unhappiness, it's like they are constantly feeling the same emotions on top of their own. It's not so bad when they're positive, or happy, but with all the problems he already has being here and dealing with the way people felt about One and how some felt about him I'm surprised it didn't break him mentally. But then again maybe it did and we were just too self-involved to notice." He picked up his chopsticks again. "We're not a happy bunch. We're fucked up, angry, and take it out on people that don't deserve it. Owen's eyes flicked toward Tosh. "He got the brunt of it from me and Gwen. And don't bother to claim you were innocent in all this and you know it, Cooper."

"I'd like to know why everyone seems to have forgotten that..."

"And here she goes. All about her. Why a good man like Rhys ever thought he was getting something decent when he got involved with you..."

Gwen leapt to her feet. "You'd best just shut it! Bloody no good estate trash like you...!"

"_Enough_!" Owen bellowed, causing both women to turn murderous glares on him. "Not doing a bit of good here, so can we just sit down, eat and maybe concentrate on what we're gonna do about the bloody Tea...er, I mean Ianto?" Owen held his hands up in Rhiannon's direction. "I know, he's not a tea boy. I'm a twat, like I said, but the I do give a damn as his doctor."

"Someone else can clean up after her, I'm going home." Gwen stormed out of the boardroom, the others hearing her slamming drawers in her desk before the sirens sounded as she left through the cog door.

"Much nicer now, don't you think?" Rhiannon grinned at them both before going back to her food.

Rolling her eyes, Tosh silently agreed.

-TW-

Jack dropped into the chair beside Ianto's bed and leaned forward to rest his forearms on his thighs. He wasn't surprised to find that Ianto was empathic; the way he anticipated and seemed to always know what was needed was a blatant clue. What it did was offer another layer of truth to what Ianto had said about Lisa, that indeed she had retained some of who she was and he could sense that from her. While he still firmly believed nothing could have been done to reverse the process Jack had to admit to himself that the reasons Ianto had for doing what he did were legitimate and only made his handling of the situation that much harder to bear. He reached out and took hold of Ianto's hand, curling his fingers round and holding it gently. The skin was far warmer than it had been but he had no illusions about any drastic change in condition - Ianto was sick, very sick, and while Owen was optimistic it was going to take for him to be well. Physically well. Mentally, Jack knew was going to take even longer.

"Hey. I've got so much to say to you so you need to wake up. Not just flutter your eyes although if you want to do that when you're well I'm all for it. In fact, when you're well you can..."

"Still harassing then, sir?" Very quiet and raspy but the sound was music to Jack's ears and the grin it brought to his face was blinding.

"Hey you. Don't try too talk much. Are you thirsty?"

Ianto gave a slow nod. Jack let go of his hand and opened the pitcher on the table beside the bed. "Ice?" Another nod and he grabbed the spoon to fish out a few chips. "Open." When Ianto did, he carefully tipped the spoon and promptly sent the contents sliding onto Ianto's face and down his cheek. "Oops. Um, wait, here." This time he picked up a larger chunk with his fingers and pressed it to Ianto's lips. "Open again and I promise to actually give it to you not your neck." Ianto did and Jack slipped the ice through his lips, somewhat reluctantly pulling his fingers back and wiping them on the serviette that had been let next to the pitcher. "Here, let me..." He stood and carefully helped Ianto to sit up a bit, quickly stuffing another pillow behind him. "There," he said, sitting back down, "is that better?"

"Would be but for the ice melting on my neck," Ianto deadpanned, "which is rather cold."

"And that would be oops again." Jack took the serviette and used it to blot at the water left by the melted chips. Setting the cloth back on the table he again leaned his forearms on his knees, his eyes roaming over Ianto's thin, pale face. "I though I'd lost you. I thought if I ever saw you again it would be as a corpse. We looked and looked for you and you were here. Do you have any idea what it would have done to me, and to Tosh, to find you had died so close to us?" He wasn't trying to sound accusing but he knew it was coming out that way when Ianto's face flushed and his eyes dropped to watch his fingers crimp and fold the blanket. "Ianto, I know what happened, what was said, was..." He caught hold of Ianto's fingers, trying to still the movement. "I'm angry." He felt and saw the flinch. "Wait, listen. I am angry. I'm angry at you for not telling me. I'm angry at you for bringing what could have been the beginning of an end of the world invasion into the base and hiding it. But I am also angry at myself, at Owen, at Gwen. I can't really be angry at Tosh except I am a little bit because she was smarter than me. The things we said, the way we behaved, so much that should have been done. But you let us. You wanted to be less than a part of us but I should never have allowed it. You failed me, but more than that I failed you. I should have realized that you were in far worse shape than I did but I was distracted. I also should have realized you were empathic."

"I didn't want you to. I know what Torchwood used empaths for and I didn't want that to happen." Whether it was the illness or the insecurity Jack didn't know but the words were so soft he was grateful for the heightened senses that came with his physiology.

"Ianto, what did I do to make you distrust me so much? Not only that you wouldn't tell me who you are but to hide something like that from me? You know I severed ties with One because I didn't agree with them. Hell, I made it clear enough what I thought of them from what I said after you were here. I never believed that crap Yvonne spewed. Why didn't you tell me?"

In the words Ianto heard the very real pain and the desire to understand. He hadn't had any trust in Jack, in fact in any of them although he was beginning to feel it with Tosh. If things had not gone the way they had, he might even have left some sort of goodbye message for her and by extension Jack. His feelings for Jack were muddled with his feelings for Lisa, and that in itself had kept him allowing only a surface relationship with the man. He had wanted so badly to say something, to ask for help, but his fear had won out over the desire every time. He knew Jack was waiting and he had to say something. "When you came to go through the remnants." He coughed and gestured toward the pitcher. "May I...?"

Jack poured some of the water and ice into a cup. "Careful, and not too much." He actually steadied it while Ianto took several small sips, setting it back on the table when Ianto indicated he was done.

"Thanks." He went back to crimping the edge of the blanket. "You were somewhere outside." His voice, broken and fraught with pain and disuse, was so quiet Jack sat further forward to make sure he caught every word. "Owen and Suzie were in the archives. I was..." he coughed again, this time a more prolonged spell that left him breathing hard and needing a few more sips of water before he could go on. "I was hiding, trying to find things to help with Lisa. Suzie was asking you something. You were using the intercom system to talk so I heard you answer her, then someone with you asked you something. I heard your reply."

Jack nodded. "Right, what did I say?"

Old eyes, burdened by horror and pain, rose to meet his. "You said kill them," Ianto whispered. "You said kill them all, leave none alive."

Jack wanted to close his eyes to avoid the depth of emotions he saw in Ianto's steady gaze. It was impossible though, in fact it was beyond his control to even blink. "Despite what you think I meant, it was done for them not to them. To live as they were, if you can call it living, was not an option. They were _screaming_ Ianto, they were terrified and in pain and most were laying there with knives and metal imbedded in their flesh and there was nothing we could do. To get them out we would have had to turn the machines on and we couldn't. It wasn't done out of hate, it was done out of mercy. But I understand why you felt that way. I do. But once you knew _me_, once you had been near me, why didn't it change? Why didn't you feel that I had heart enough to at least try?"

Ianto dropped his eyes to stare at the blanket. "You would speak of One and I could feel your hate, your disdain. You believed it was deserved. You never asked me anything except when you wanted me to do something and then you told me. When you looked at Tosh you felt pride and love, almost like a father. When you looked at Owen you felt pride and affection, again like a father. When you looked at Suzie you felt pride and affection, sometimes a little desire. When you looked at Gwen you felt compassion, and lust, and warmth." Once more he looked at Jack. "When you looked at me you felt lust. And contempt."

Jack reared back. "No! If I did it was for what happened, not for you!"

Ianto managed a weak smile. "No difference, not when you feel nothing but hatred and distrust from everyone else. Tosh felt differently. Suzie had no use for me. Owen hated, well hates, me. Gwen thinks I'm worthless and beneath her. Tosh, she actually cares but she's so in love with Owen she's afraid to upset him. Add those to what I felt from you and I knew I was nothing. She was all I had. I'm tired sir, am I allowed to rest before we continue?"

"Of course." He helped Ianto sit forward and eased the extra pillow out from behind him. "Here, lie back. Are you hungry?"

"Thank you but no, sir." Ianto lay back and closed his eyes.

"Get some rest but we're going to talk more, Ianto. This isn't over." After tossing the pillow into the open bin that held the extra linens, Jack got up and moved the chair back from the bed.

"I know, sir." Exhausted, words laced with resignation and pain.

Jack stood and watched him for several minutes before going back to the bed. Bending over, he pressed a light kiss to Ianto's forehead. "Get better. We need you," he said softly, "_I_ need you." Another kiss and he left the room, using his wriststrap to dim the lights, leaving behind silence and stillness and unseen tears.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you thank you for the amazing reviews. I know I'm a horrible slacker and should respond to each one individually but seems like all I want to do is write so I hope everyone knows it's actually for a good reason. I have decided to continue this in segments but this still has a few chapters left to go before these particular issues are resolved. Still don't own anything except the dustbunnies under my desk, RTD still has the good stuff.**

When Jack returned to the main Hub it was empty except for Owen. Even Myfanwy was out, released into the night to stretch her wings and in the silence of the base Jack made his way to Tosh's station to check on the Rift predictor, grateful that their normally active job had been quiet. What he saw made him even happier because if he was reading it right it looked as if there should be another fifty-nine hours or so of quiet before they were due for a few hefty spikes. Mentally crossing his fingers that it would remain that way, Jack wandered over to join Owen on the battered couch, noting the medic had helped himself to a rather large tumbler of Jack's top shelf Scotch. He might have been less happy about it if he hadn't seen the second glass sitting on the low table next to the decanter, so not one to overlook a gift he dropped to the cushions with a loud sigh before leaning forward to pour his own.

"He's sleeping again."

Owen indicated a display on the wall across from where they sat. "Stats."

Jack grinned and playfully slapped Owen's leg. "Smart man that you are. That's a good idea."

"I'll apologize to him when he'll be aware enough to remember and appreciate it. Christ Jack, how did we balls this up so badly? How did _I_ balls it up so badly? I know I'm not the most caring person but I am a good doctor. I am. How could I have been so blind to everything with him? He's ridiculously underweight. I took a look through some of the old CCTV and you can see how much he's hurting when he walks. He bends to pick up some of the rubbish we left laying round and he actually winces. He stands in the kitchen and holds his back, bracing it. Worst part of it all is that I did see it, and Tosh told me about it, and I still completely fucking ignored it. What does that say about me?"

"I'm not sure what it says about all of us. And by the way, Ianto has turned down every offer I have given him for sex. I managed one kiss and that was because I surprised him. I did not hire him because I was sleeping with him. And while I have a long and varied list of things I would love to do to that delicious body, I did not hire him simply for that desire. I hired him because of his determination and his stubbornness. When you look at what he has accomplished here, despite all of the stupidity of his co-workers and boss, you have to admit the boy knows his job. We can find things, no one is in any danger of being infected by some weird thing growing out of the mounds of rubbish we had left to get out of control." He took a long swallow of the liquor and leaned back, tipping his head to rest it on the back of the couch as he closed his eyes. "He heard me tell UNIT to kill all of the partial conversions."

"Fuck. Explains a lot."

"Yes, it does." The two men sat in silence for a few minutes before Jack turned his head to look at Owen. "You do know if he didn't need you as badly as he does we would not be having this conversation since you would be at home on unpaid suspension, right? What possessed you to remove your comm, Owen? Gwen doesn't surprise me. She's new and I'm finding that I may have seriously overestimated her compassion, in fact I'm starting to see how selfish and self-righteous she is, but you know better. Too often the ability to communicate means the difference between living and dying."

"I really have no excuse, Jack. It just didn't seem important. All you were doing was going down to the lower levels so what harm could it be? And then Gwen threw me the basketball and it went from there." He chuckled and shook his head. "You should have seen Tosh when she came up into the Hub. She was on fire, angry and hostile and looking for someone's bollocks. Not sure if it was mine or Gwen's though." He turned to look at Jack. "A lot of this with Gwen is your fault. You've let her get away with everything since she started, Jack. You know I'm a wanker and go out of my way to be miserable, but she's been rude and dismissive of Ianto and Tosh. I'd fuck her given the chance, but she wants you and makes no secret of it. Why do you think she hates Ianto so much?"

"I planned on shagging her. Could have done it the first night but it seemed almost too easy. And I was already so attracted to him and he was such a challenge. Now I wonder if he actually was interested or if he was trying to distract me. I do know one thing though, when he's well if he is interested in staying here whether he decides to take me up on my offers on a personal level or tells me in no uncertain terms he is not interested you will need to stop with the comments. I don't care what you say about me, Owen. Your opinion is not going to make me feel one way or the other, if anything it just makes me wonder what you're trying to hide." He grinned at Owen's indignant sputter, the smile fading when he continued. "He's been abused physically and emotionally and maybe more. Your ignorance will not be tolerated. I don't hear him making comments on the women you pick up on an almost daily basis. I don't hear him speculating about how much you like something in your arse. You and I know damn well that your use of that alien pheromone spray was not limited to women. You've done your share of experimenting with the male sex and if you continue to torment Ianto I will take action. I am done with any of my team being treated like they are less than others, and just so you know I am including Tosh in this. You are almost as ignorant and rude to her as you are to Ianto and it stops. Do you hear me? It stops now."

Jack could tell the medic wanted to say something - it might have been to argue, to complain, with his it could be almost anything but after a few moments he seemed to gather control and all he said was, "I hear you!" Owen swallowed the remainder of liquor in his glass and stood. "In the med bay are three syringes, each marked. Antibiotics he can have in about an hour. Pain med is as needed. If he's not in pain but can't sleep, there's a light dose to help that in the third. Keep his stats monitored. You'll hear an alarm if anything drops, like his oxygen levels. Everything has shown improvement, so I don't expect a problem. Yet. There will be though, this shit is hard to shake and he's weak. I'm going home. If he wakes up and needs me, phone and I'll come back. If not I'll be in round ten or so. I need some bloody sleep."

Jack nodded, putting the stopper back in the decanter before getting to his feet and moving round the Hub as the alarms signaled Owen's departure. With nothing else needing to be done he put the Hub into night mode before going back to Ianto's room and settling into the chair next to the bed, selecting one of the books from the pile and relaxing as Ianto slept.

-TW-

It took Ianto a minute or two to figure out where he was when he opened his eyes. Slowly looking round he took note of the IV pole beside the bed and he could fell the prongs of the nasal cannula that was feeding him oxygen. His body hurt but not like it had, most likely due to the softness of the bed. He was warm, and the muted lighting didn't aggravate the quiet thumping in his head. He looked the to the other side of the bed and was surprised to see Jack sitting in a large, overstuffed chair. He was smiling and his eyes were bright. "Well, hello there Mister Jones." He closed the book and set it back on the table next to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly, sir, I'm a bit confused." Ianto managed to sit himself up although he was forced to close his eyes for a moment when the room took a slight turn.

Jack got up and retrieved a small wedge-shaped cushion, fitting it behind Ianto to help keep him upright in the bed. Once he was sure Ianto was settled he stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at the drowsy face peering up at him, "Do you think you can stay awake long enough to try to eat some soup? I know you won't be able to eat much, but anything is better than what you have been eating."

Ianto ducked his head. "I'll try but no promises."

"I'll be back in a few minutes. And I know you aren't strong enough to talk much but there are a few things we really need to discuss. I need to know where your things are, Ianto. We'll get them for you, but you have to at least have a few more suits. Please tell me you didn't let everything stay in the flat. And why didn't you tell me about the flat? And why did you stay down there instead of coming to me? Even if you didn't want to face the rest of the team you could have come up at night when it was just me here. Why didn't...?"

"Sir, if you want me awake you might want to get the soup."

Jack laughed. "Right, soup. But think about all those questions because I do want answers." He started toward the door but turned back coming to stand next to the bed and look at Ianto, his mouth offering a small smile but his eyes were different, almost sad. "Just...don't ever do that again. Promise me. Even if I'm furious I don't want anything to happen to you. If you had died...promise me that you'll talk to me."

Ianto nodded, keeping his eyes on his hands which were once more crimping the blanket. "Promise," he said softly.

Jack bent down and kissed the top of his head before practically bouncing out of the room in search of soup.

Determined to remain awake until Jack returned, Ianto reached for the book Jack had been reading. He was surprised to see it was one of the James Bond novels and wondered if the captain was actually interested or just killing time. He knew he was delaying the inevitable and sighed as he placed the book back on the table, trying to focus on the upcoming conversation he really didn't want to have. He wondered if he asked for the Retcon Jack would give it to him. It would take a high dose to wipe out all his memories of Torchwood and could leave him in a state that would be less than compos mentis. He wasn't sure he cared anymore though, the reason he had made his way as deep into the base as he had was because he literally had no other place to go. He was afraid if he left that someone would see him and he would be picked up by the locals or even worse by someone who would take him to Rhiannon's and he wanted to keep her safe. As angry as Jack had been he didn't know if he would take it out on his family and he couldn't take that chance. He was confused though because now Jack was acting so differently than what he had been that night and while Ianto knew the insanity, the adrenalin and the emotions of that night played a part, he couldn't bring himself to believe that Jack had honestly forgiven him or suddenly gave a damn if he lived or died. Maybe this was a game, a twisted sort of revenge, and as soon as Ianto let his guard down and believed it Jack would strike. His breath hitched and he felt the sting of tears, surprised that his body was actually able to produce the moisture as a few slid down his cheeks. He quickly scrubbed them away and tried to pull himself together when he heard Jack's footsteps coming back. Now, knowing that none of this was real and even more frightened that Rhiannon had been pulled into the twisted game Jack was playing, Ianto had no idea what to do.

"Chicken broth with noodles," Jack said, coming into the room with a tray. "Some bread and butter too, figured it..." He stopped talking and looked at Ianto through narrowed eyes. "Ianto?"

He was shaking, shaking so hard that the blankets were trembling and his face was as pale as it had been when he was first found. He looked terrified.

Jack set the tray on the chair and crouched next to the bed. "Hey, what's wrong?" He pried Ianto's hands loose from the blankets and held them gently. "Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong?"

The last thing he expected was the clumsy lunge for his Webley.


	13. Chapter 13

**I'd claim 'm sorry about the bit of a cliffhanger from the last chapter but - I'd be lying. ;) As always, thank you for you reviews, interest and support, it is very much appreciated and makes me happy. Still though it all belongs to RTD and the BBC and the only thing I get out of it is knowing I'm not the only one who has fun playing with it all.**

Too weak to have much force and too disoriented to be accurate, the only thing Ianto managed to do was punch Jack in the ribs. Jack easily withstood the blow and caught Ianto when he tipped dangerously off the side of the bed, biting down hard on the initial reaction to shout and make things worse. Carefully - and as gently as he could - he eased Ianto back onto the pillows, letting him go and adjusting them once more to give the weakened body support. "Hey," Jack said softly, feeling the still violent trembling and seeing the absolute terror in Ianto's eyes, "Ianto, stop it. What's going on? Why would you want the gun?" His fingers smoothed the tangled hair off Ianto's forehead. "You need to calm down, please." He took a deep breath and sat back, never taking his eyes off Ianto in case he made another attempt to grab the weapon. "Come on, talk to me."

"Please just finish it," Ianto whispered.

"Finish what? No one is going to hurt you, and I have no plans to Retcon you. Ianto, we're trying to help you get well. Why would we do this and turn round and harm you?"

"You said you would execute me if I didn't kill her."

Jack winced. "Ianto, I said a lot that night I'm not proud of. That, and telling you to kill her, plus the remark I made about barbecue, telling you to give us your loyalty over her when in all fairness we had given you nothing to feel we deserved it...so much was said. We have a lot of things to discuss, and a lot of hurt to work out but I am not letting you go. As much as Torchwood needs you, I need you even more. Look, eat something first and then I promise we'll talk. Or I'll talk while you eat." Jack got up to retrieve the tray and then carefully settled it across Ianto's lap before sitting back down on the bed. "I put the soup in a mug, figured it would be easier to drink. It's not really hot so you can use your straw if you like."

"Straw please, sir." He still wouldn't lift his head to look at Jack.

"Enough," Jack said, his voice firm but not unkind. "Ianto, look at me." He waited until Ianto had raised his head before leaning closer, locking their gazes. "I am not going to hurt you. I am not going to Retcon you. I am angry and we will have to talk about things but I am far more concerned with the fact I nearly lost you. You are important to me, and not just for your place on my team. All I care about right now is getting you well, the rest will follow. Now, while you eat, tell me where your things are so I can get them and bring them here."

"Archive. Section 7-Q4. Small wardrobe," he said, shifting his eyes away from Jack's intense stare.

"Right. You eat and I'll go bring everything up." Getting up, he shook a finger at Ianto. "Eat!"

"Yes, sir," Ianto sighed, watching as Jack bounded out the door. Taking a deep breath, he lifted the mug of soup and took a careful sip from the straw. He glanced at the bread, a small smile tugging his lips when he saw it had been cut into soldiers.

-TW-

Upon opening the wardrobe Jack had to stop a moment and take a few deep breaths when his chest tightened at the pitiful sight. Ianto's suits were there, as well as his shirts and ties. A pair of dress shoes, a pair of trainers, a pair of boots. A small stack of jeans and casual shirts, one or two jumpers and a couple of hoodies. At the bottom of the wardrobe were two boxes, one of which he carefully pulled out to set on the floor. The top was marked as being filled with CDs, books and DVDs, the flaps taped to avoid it spilling. The other, once pulled out as well, was simply marked as personal. There was no way he could carry it all with a single trip, in fact he was thinking it might be best to simply move the entire wardrobe but at least he could take the boxes since they contained items Ianto could make use of while he recovered. He noticed a drawer across the bottom and opened it find socks, pants and vests but as they had just purchased new ones he saw no reason to bring them along. The boxes weren't heavy so he stacked the one marked personal on top of the other and lifted them both, stopping by the door to flip the switch with his elbow to turn out the lights and giving the door a push with his hip. Boots echoing in the quiet he headed back to Ianto's room, wondering if he could talk him into going through the boxes and allowing Jack a deeper look into his life.

Climbing up the stairs Jack thought about the small amount of possessions that were stored in the wardrobe. If indeed that was all Ianto had left moving into a new flat was going to even harder with the expenses of furniture, dishes, bedding and all the things that were necessary to actually live. Not only were they going to have to address that, he still had the stack of unpaid bills that had accumulated at Ianto's old flat, all of which would also have to be dealt with. He decided that when Tosh came in he would have her work up a complete accounting of what was needed to take care of the prior issues - including the credit cards - and what would be needed to re-establish everything Ianto would need. He would ask Gwen to help but he didn't think her attitude was conducive to actually getting it done. Which brought up another issue - he really needed to make Ianto understand he did not expect him to allow the continued bullying and demanding behavior from either her or Owen.

"Jack?"

Ianto's raspy call of his name brought him out of his musings and he stopped. "Yan?"

"You just walked past."

"Oh." Laughing, Jack turned round and when back a few paces before turning into Ianto's room. "I was thinking, however I was not paying attention." He carefully set the boxes down beside the bed and noticed that the mug of soup was gone as were a few soldiers off the plate. "Done?"

Ianto nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, sir, I just can't eat anymore."

"Right, one more thing I need to make absolutely clear. Stop apologizing for everything. Or at least if you insist on apologizing let's do it naked." He leered at Ianto, bursting into a loud laugh when Ianto's face turned decidedly pink.

"Highly inappropriate, sir."

"I don't see how! You're in a bed, at my mercy and..." There it was, the flash of fear in those amazing eyes and a definite tensing of his body. "Dammit Ianto, stop." Jack sat down on the edge of the bed next to Ianto's leg, taking the tray and setting it on the stack of boxes. Once his hands were free he took hold of Ianto's. "I know it's going to take time. What I said sent you into hiding in a place that..." He shook his head. "I know you think I'm a monster for what I did, but..."

"No."

"No?" Jack looked puzzled.

"I was angry." Ianto's voice was getting softer and the rasp deeper. He was obviously tired and ready for more sleep and Jack was tempted to tell him to stop and they'd pick this up later but he had a feeling this was important in the scheme of fixing things. "So angry. I couldn't do it. Couldn't face what I put her through." He raised his eyes to meet Jack's. His were wet, a tear slipping free now and again. "You were right. Figured that out in the dark. She was dead long ago." He pulled a hand free and used to rub his eyes. "'M tired, Jack."

"Sleep. We'll talk more later." Jack helped him get comfortable, removing the wedge pillow to allow him to recline more and plumping the ones that were left to make them more comfortable. Hazy eyes watched him as he pulled the blankets up and tucked them round, a small smile breaking out when Jack brushed his knuckles over Ianto's cheek. "Sleep. I'll be right here."

"Snooping?"

Ianto was almost asleep so Jack clamped down on the laughter that threatened. "Of course." He leaned over and kissed Ianto's forehead. "You know me too well, Mister Jones."

Ianto didn't answer, he was already asleep.

-TW-

"Jack, what are you doing?"

He grinned at Tosh and beckoned her closer. "Come see baby Ianto. And baby Rhiannon. Baby Ianto looks terrified of little Rhiannon and little Rhiannon still scares the hell out of me."

Tosh giggled and carefully sat on the floor beside Jack. "How is he?" she asked, looking up at the bed.

"He ate a mug of soup and few bread soldiers. What's worrying me most is he sure he is that this is all a sick game we're playing. I thought he understood what was going on but then he made a lunge for my gun. Which reminds me, no weapons near this room from now on. I got him to settle and we talked some more, but I still feel as if he's waiting for me to tell him that he's ballsed things up so badly that I've decided to kill him, or worse Retcon him so he forgets everything about Torchwood and Lisa."

"Maybe having Rhiannon here will help."

"I hope so. Anyway, I need you to do something for me today. I need you to work on finding him a decent flat, close by, that he can afford on his salary. Then I need you to account for every bit of money he owes and how much it will take to furnish and provide all he needs for a new flat. Good things, not bargains or second hand. I've got the money to spare so let's do it right. Don't get fancy, but we all know he's a quality type. Remember to add in outstanding bills and the credit cards and how much to pay them off, everything you can think of. When you get it together bring it to me. Try and find a few options for flats, and while Rhiannon is here we'll discuss them with him. Well, I'll stand behind her and let her tell him at least." He smiled at Tosh, the full on sharks don't have that many teeth do they? Harkness grin. "I also want her opinion, and yours, on how we can to get it through his head that he is not a tea boy, or whipping boy, or anything else kind of boy - unless of course he wants to be my boy because he can definitely be that as much as he'd like - so he needs to tell Gwen and Owen to leave him alone. No matter how many times I saw it, you say it, or Rhiannon says it until Ianto makes the effort to put them in their place they will push it."

"We might not have to worry about Gwen, I think Rhiannon is about two remarks away from beating her to death."

"Do you think we can get them to do it in mud?"

"That's my sister you pervert."

"Ianto!" Tosh leapt to her feet and stepped on Jack to get to the bed, ignoring his whining and crying over the stab of her heel in his leg. "How are you? Can I get you anything?"

"Water?" He waited until she poured a cup and helped him to take a few sips. "I'm sorry, Tosh, so sorry."

"Stop that right now," she said, giving him a stern glare. "You owe me no apologies. I'm just sorry it took us so long to find you. How stupid am I not to have figured out that you never left?" She gripped his hand, smiling through her tears. "Just get well, please? I miss you. I'm stuck with Owen's rubbish and Gwen's babbling. I don't have anyone to make fun of them with."

"Hey, why did I never get invited to the making fun thing?" Jack stuck out his lip and pouted at them both.

"Because we were stuck with you too, sir."

Too busy laughing at just how far Jack was capable of sticking out his lower lip, none of them noticed Gwen's arrival.

-TW-

She went straight up to Jack's office after setting her bag on her desk only to find it dark and empty. Coming down the stairs she noticed several items on Toshiko's desk including her bag and jacket so it seemed that she was not the first there. Gwen rolled her eyes. Tosh would of course be down with Ianto and Jack must be near there as well although she couldn't blame him, after all someone had to keep an eye on Tosh. Taking a moment to fluff her hair and straighten her top, Gwen pasted a smile on her face and headed for the storeroom, only to stop a few paces from the door when she heard the laughter from inside. The smile quickly changed to a frown and she moved to the doorway and stood, looking inside at the three who were there.

"I'd paddle you both for that remark but I'd have to permanently watch out for deadly high heels and cold decaf," Jack said, giving them both a grin.

"Sir, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course." Jack reached across the pile of Ianto's things in his lap and got hold of his hand. "Ask away."

"Just how did you get your teeth so bloody white?"

"I've always wondered that!" Tosh cried.

"Are you making fun of me, Ianto?" The lip was back out but the laughter in his eyes showed he was far from offended.

"I believe I am, Jack."

"I'm really going to need that paddle."

"Harassment, sir."

"Oh, I have plans to harass you so hard, Mister Jones."

Tosh threw up her hands. "Wait! Spare me the details!" Laughing at the expressions on both their faces - she thought they may have forgotten for a moment that she was there - Tosh scrambled to her feet. "I'm going to get coffee and maybe some breakfast. Ianto, what do you want? Owen said no caffeine yet."

Ianto made a face. "To be honest, my stomach is so sore I have to agree. Maybe some warm milk with honey and vanilla?"

"Of course. Do you want eggs, or...?"

Unlike the other two, Ianto was aware of Gwen's presence. "Whatever you get is fine, Tosh." His eyes shifted and it was then Jack turned his head to see Gwen's malicious stare.

"Gwen, go with Tosh," Jack ordered. "Tosh, when you get back feel free to come join us. We're going to see exactly why baby Ianto was so afraid of little Rhiannon."

"If she chased you round trying to make you into a little sister you'd be scared too," Ianto muttered.

"Jack, I would really like to speak with you."

"Gwen. Go with Tosh. I'll speak with you later." An alarm beeped and Jack checked his wrist strap. "Looks like Rhiannon is upstairs. Let her in as you leave, Tosh." Jack turned back to Ianto, effectively ending the conversation.

Gwen hissed through her teeth and turned to stomp away, Tosh rolling her eyes before following. Once they were gone, Jack opened the leather strap and hit a few buttons, turning off the sound on the CCTV. "Listen to me. When this is done, and you are well, when we have everything straightened out, I expect you to be a full member of this team. You are smart, resourceful, stubborn, loyal, and I appreciate all those qualities. The other thing you are is too willing to let people treat you as less than themselves. I'm sure this comes from your past, and it's another thing we will talk about."

"Rhiannon?" When Jack nodded, Ianto sighed. "I just..."

"I understand why, Ianto. But here, and now, you are not less than anyone else. You are important. And I refuse to allow you to let anyone make you feel as if you aren't. So when this is done, if anyone - and that includes me by the way - says or does anything to try to make you feel as if you are beneath them or less important in what you do and who you are I expect you to tell them to sod off. Not _ask_ them, _tell_ them. Take a lesson from your sister on this one because I can promise no one tells her without hearing it back."

Ianto's lips twitched into a smirk. "Scared you did she?"

Jack grinned back. "Terrified." The gentle squeeze of his hand made the grin even bigger.


	14. Chapter 14

**Still own nothing dammit. I am still amazed at the support this fic has received. Thank you so much for making me want to write again. **

"Well you look a great deal better."

"I always look good!" Jack winked at Ianto when he rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, admit it! I am a damn fine specimen of..."

"Obviously not modesty," Rhiannon said, laughing as she walked over to the bed and bent to kiss Ianto's cheek. "You feel cooler, too. How did you sleep? And what the bloody hell is this mess all over the floor?"

"Slept fine and Jack was snooping," Ianto said, trying to figure out if he should let go of Jack's hand before his sister noticed. When he saw her pointedly look at their hands he knew it was too late.

Jack saw as well and after giving Ianto's hand only last squeeze he let go. "I'm a very tactile person, Rhiannon. And with as worried as I've been about Ianto it just reassures that he's..."

"Did I ask?" She looked at him with a disturbingly familiar raised eyebrow. "Did I?"

"Nope," Jack popped the 'p' and grabbed Ianto's hand again. "So tell me, how many times did you try to change Ianto into a sister instead of a brother?"

"Almost daily," she grinned, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking fondly at her brother. "Once in a while I caught him too and he looked ever so lovely with glitter and makeup. Hair done just so, even managed to stuff him in a few of my dresses."

"Oh! Are there pictures?"

"I think I have a few. He wouldn't though. I'll bring them in later when I bring dinner for you both."

"And my humiliation is complete," Ianto sighed.

"Both?"

"You're the one here taking care of him at night, right? So why would I bring him something and not you? Speaking of that, I stopped and picked up a few things for breakfast, so Tosh is just getting coffee. If you..."

"Be right back!" Jack released Ianto's hand and jumped up, scattering photos and papers and everything else that had been piled in his lap. He practically bounced out the door, leaving Rhiannon and Ianto staring at one another and grinning.

"He gets a bit over excited."

"He's a bloody five year old," Rhiannon laughed. "Did you two manage to have a talk?"

Ianto nodded. "Some. Still a lot to say, but I think we made progress. You told them about Mam and Tad didn't you?"

"I did. Had to. Do you know how close you came to dying? Another day or two and you would have been dead. Whatever happened, was it really worth leaving me and the kids, Yan? He seems to have torn himself silly looking for you, and Tosh is such a lovely one. She loves you like I do. How could you think that we would be better off without you?"

"I'm still not sure you wouldn't be," he admitted. "What I did, what could have happened..." He shuddered. "I could have killed so many people because I was too stupid and stubborn to see what she'd become."

"I know better than anyone how hard you love. And I know better than anyone that when you believe in someone you refuse to give up until you have no other choice. I know you loved Mam enough to take all the anger and hatred she was throwing at you but you never said a single bad word about her. I know that even though he hurt you and treated you like utter shit you still won't say what exactly Tad did to you and I think that is far more to protect my feelings than it is to protect yourself. I know in spite of the fact that doctor and that woman have been nothing but hateful to you that you haven't done a thing back to either of them. And I mean before whatever happened, Ianto. Tosh said they've been rubbish to you since day one. And as for the happy slappy one..."

"Hey!" Jack was in the doorway, holding several bags with a madly giggling Tosh behind him. "I am not happy slappy!"

Rhiannon ignored him. "And as for the happy slappy one, he might have done and said some things that were almost unforgivable, and he might have been far more interested in shagging you rather than actually knowing you, I would say all that has changed. I still have every intention of turning his bollocks into earrings if he steps over the line again though. Might make a pendant out of his..."

"Stop!" Wheezing with laughter at the expression on Jack's face, Ianto waved a hand at his sister. "Please, stop!" The laughter turned into a cough; harsh barks of sound that took his breath and had him gasping for air. Rhiannon grabbed his shoulder and turned him on his side in case he got sick, Jack dumping the bags on the chair and rushing to help. He lifted him, sliding behind his back and reclining Ianto against his chest, giving him a better angle to breathe.

"Take it easy, just breathe." Jack checked to make sure there was still a flow of oxygen going into the tube and then sat quietly while Ianto tried to take a few deep breaths as the last couple hard coughs shook his frame. "Breathe," Jack said softly, shifting position just enough to allow him to place a hand flat on Ianto's chest and rub it in slow circles. "When you can breathe again I really want to know exactly why the idea of your sister wearing jewelry made out of a few of my bits - and those bits are among my favorite ones mind you - so funny." He frowned at a still giggling Rhiannon. "Are you always so violent?"

"When it suits me," she managed, wiping her eyes. "Ianto, are you alright?"

"Yeah," he nodded, still breathing deeply but the coughing fit appeared to have passed. He also seemed to have made himself quite comfortable on Jack's chest but no one was going to comment on that.

"Oi! Harkness, can't I leave you alone for one bloody night? Stop molesting my patient!" Owen had arrived, scowl in place. "Morning," he mumbled in Rhiannon's direction. "How you feeling this morning Tea...Ianto. Too early to get my bollocks twisted."

"Better, but I hurt," Ianto admitted. "And where I don't hurt I want to scratch."

Busy running a scanner over Ianto, Owen grunted in return. "Breathing? Why are you so flushed? What the hell have you done to him, Jack?"

"Nothing! I was being a kind and considerate nurse!"

"Not sure he's up for your kind of nursing," Owen mumbled. "Right, temp is down, your lungs are still full of shit, the rash I can see looks better. Need to give a listen to your chest, draw some more blood and if things are on the up I'll remove the catheter and with help you can get a shower before we slather you up with another round of that cream. All in all you're doing well but to be honest I fully expect it all to go to shit once or twice before it's over." He tugged the vest upward to expose Ianto's chest, shaking his head at the rash and the scrapes. "Deep breath." He held the disk against Ianto's chest as he tried breathing deeply a few times, moving it to a new area and motioning for him to keep pulling in as much air as he could. Finished in the front he crooked a finger and Jack eased him forward, keep an arm round Ianto's waist to steady him as Owen listened to several places on his back. "Well, sounds about as it looks." He pushed Ianto's shoulder to guide him back to rest on Jack's chest. "Eat anything?"

"Soup, a few bread soldiers. Rhi brought breakfast and I am a bit hungry."

"Drink? You have to keep hydrated."

"Water, some ice chips."

"Not good enough, Teaboy. You need..." Owen groaned when he caught sight of the scowl on Rhiannon's face. "Can you please tell her I'm not meaning that in any way other than love?"

That time it was Jack that had the coughing fit until he was nearly purple. Ianto just looked at him with that eyebrow raised like he had lost his mind. Finally he snorted. "He doesn't mean it as an insult all the time. He's just an ignorant English git."

"Yeah, yeah, tell it to your sheep Welshie. Ow!" Owen glared at Rhiannon, hopping back and reaching down to rub his shin. "You kicked me!"

"You have the bedside manner of a frog," Rhiannon said, laughing at his indignant expression, "sort of resemble one too."

Still gasping, Jack rested his chin on Ianto's shoulder. "Can we keep her?"

"No, sir, we cannot." Ianto noticed Gwen had joined Tosh in the doorway. "I believe your coffee is here, so if you want to go have your breakfast I'm sure Rhiannon won't mind..."

"I brought the food, we'll eat here." Jack eased out from behind him and slipped off the bed to sit on the floor. "Besides, I want stories to go with these pictures. "

"Oh for the love of rugby, just kill me now." Ianto's plea was lost in the confusion of passing food and coffee and the general mayhem of everyone finding space to sit. It was almost surreal - his sister here with the people who less than a month ago had ended what he thought was his world. Now, looking at Jack laughing at Owen who was trying to get Tosh to give up the chair; Rhiannon passing out rolls and packets of sauce and paper napkins; Gwen handing out coffees and actually smiling at the argument over the reasoning behind Tosh's refusal to give up the chair he was rather stunned to feel as if things might actually be all right in the end. He was startled by a sudden squeeze of his knee and he turned his head to see Jack smiling at him, not the teeth baring one but a soft, gentle quirk of his lips.

"Never doubt you are one of us, Ianto," he said quietly, "never doubt it again."

Ianto blinked hard, nodding at him before his attention was distracted by Rhiannon as she passed him a roll and his cup of milk.

-TW-

It was almost two hours later that Owen chased everyone out in order to give Ianto a more intensive exam. Although he was happy with what he found, he reiterated his belief that things would go bad again before the infection finally gave up. Ianto didn't argue, he was far too happy with the idea of feeling well enough - and being told he was indeed well enough - to get a shower and be clean. He wasn't quite as excited over the idea when he found out that either Owen or Jack would be in said shower with him. After much debate - and some extreme blushing - he decided on Jack. Jack was the larger and stronger of the two so if Ianto couldn't stand at least Jack wouldn't drop him on his arse. So with IV removed, catheter gone (at least for the moment), Ianto was shuffling very slowly along the corridor with Jack on one side and a still mumbling Owen on the other as they headed for the showers. Jack had offered his but getting Ianto down the ladder into his room and then getting him back out was vetoed by a snort and an eye roll and a mutter about stupid bloody wankers from Owen. Ianto didn't argue though, right now he was too busy making sure his legs kept moving as they had only gone half the length of the corridor and he was ready to call for a rest. Jack must have noticed though for with no warning he found himself swept into Jack's arms and being carried, bridal style, to the locker room.

He didn't squeak when it happened either and he would swear that until his dying day.

Owen, between fits of insane cackling, started calling him mouse boy.

Ianto filed that away for future decaf.

He forgave him, forgave Jack and pretty much would have forgiven the world when the warm water hit his back. He knew he groaned, a sound that made Jack swallow rather loudly and sent Owen scurrying off shouting about inappropriate noises and wanting no part of it all. Ianto leaned his head on Jack's shoulder, letting himself enjoy the gentle rubbing of the lathered sponge Jack was guiding round his back.

It didn't seem odd to be naked with Jack in such close proximity. His body was too weak to care, and his mind was still getting used to the whole idea of Jack not wanting him dead to get too deep into it all. Closing his eyes, Ianto let himself relax into the strength that was Jack, breathing deeply of the amazing scent that filled his head when he was near Jack. His arms seemed to naturally find their way round Jack's waist and he sighed, for the first time in so many days feeling warm and safe.

Jack, on the other hand, was in a little bit of Hell. He had left his boxers on to make things easier but the heat of the man in his arms was giving parts of him ideas. He had wanted this since he first met Ianto - of course he preferred him not ill and more active - and while the situation was far from ideal the basic facts were clear.

1. Ianto was naked.

2. Ianto was cuddled in his arms as if there was no place else he wanted to be.

3. Ianto's face was buried in his neck.

4. Had he mentioned Ianto was naked?

5. Ianto's every breath ghosted over his skin and a few times when he shifted it went straight in his ear.

5. Ianto kept making these soft little noises and whimpers while he was soaping his back

6. Ianto Jones was NAKED and WET and RIGHT THERE.

Jack was in Hell. He was trying to think of things that would result in his body being completely uninterested but firstly, it was Ianto and secondly he must indeed be one perverted so and so because even in some really disgusting situations a naked Ianto made it sound so much better. Realizing that while he was having this internal war the man in his arms was getting heavier, Jack eased him around until Ianto's back was to his chest and thinking of naked grandmothers (which morphed into a Red Riding Hood fantasy starring Ianto in a red cape and nothing else) Jack lathered the sponge again and ran it over the pale chest.

"I'm sorry."

Jack was startled out of his fantasy by the quiet apology. "For what?"

"Not easy for you." Ianto leaned his head back on Jack's shoulder and looked at him.

"I am hoping that at some point in the not too distant future we will be repeating this, only I will not be wearing boxers."

Ianto's face reddened. "Incorrigible. And definite harassment, sir."

Jack nuzzled Ianto's cheek. "Take this sponge and do anything you don't want me too before I show you some harassment, Mister Jones."

Still blushing, Ianto did but he unable to keep from smiling in the hope that everything just might work out.

Unfortunately Owen had been right and by the next morning the IV, catheter and fever were back.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the delay - family illness taking up a lot of my time right now but hopefully will have things back on track within a week. Thanks for the encouragement and the reviews and a special thank you to one reader for the reminder various uses of sheep in the Welsh culture. ;)**

Thirty six hours of worry later the fever broke and while Ianto was by no means well he seemed to be progressing nicely once more. In fact, things seemed to be going along almost too well. Whenever he had a free moment Jack would sit with Ianto and they would talk with no subject out of bounds. As Ianto got stronger their talks became more intense when the roots of their problems were brought to the surface. There were tears, some shouting and even a few extremely bad words and name calling bandied about but both quickly figured out one thing. No matter the reasons, no matter the outcome, both were far more concerned with the damage they had done to the other than to themselves. Jack kept a close eye on Ianto, stopping things when he seemed to be too tired, too stressed or too emotional to go on. With all the time they had spent talking before the situation with Lisa occurred, they were slowly slipping back into the easy friendship that had been developing and was (on both their parts) sorely missed. Previously the conversations had been on the lighter side with lots of playful bantering, but the more time spent together the deeper they became and Jack was seeing more and more reasons why he was grateful for not giving in to the immediate reaction of execution or Retcon. The world was a far more interesting place with Ianto Jones in it.

A few more days and now allowed short walks within the Hub and even a few hours in the main area bundled up on the lumpy couch, Ianto was definitely on the mend. For the most part his improvement was steady but on this day but he had spiked a small fever earlier so Owen had been strict about ordering him to make sure he got some rest and restricted him to his bed.

Just how physically devastated he still was became clear all too soon.

Positive that they were the only two in the Hub, Ianto had asked Jack about the kiss he had woken to after the cyberwoman (since he was now more willing to refer to her by that rather than by name Jack was encouraged by the seeming acceptance of the difference between the woman she had been and the thing she became) had thrown him and had he indeed been dead. Jack mumbled and avoided a direct answer. He thought Ianto might leave it alone but then he went on to wonder aloud if it was Jack's inability to stay dead that allowed him to give a kiss of life. Jack couldn't speak, instead he just sat and focused on a pattern in the rug that had been put down beside the bed until Ianto nudged him with a pillow and told him that he was an archivist and a good one and if Jack thought for a moment he had removed all the records containing his 'secret' he had best think again. Stunned, Jack could only stare as Ianto admitted he had known from early in his time with Torchwood Three but as it was Jack's secret to share he hadn't mentioned it to anyone, not even Jack. Surprised to find himself a bit angry that Ianto had never mentioned finding out, Jack had become more than a bit snappy and ended up storming out of the room and the Hub to go brood on a rooftop. He stayed there until morning and then texted Tosh to let her know he would be back later before going to Flat Holm. He then turned his phone off, still out of sorts about Ianto's knowledge of his past. Arriving back late that night he walked in to minor chaos. He realized immediately he had forgotten to turn his phone back on and as he tried to get the yelling settled he was shocked to find himself flat on his arse after a solid punch from none other than Rhiannon.

"You unbelievable bastard! You storm out of here, make him feel like it's all his fault and he tries to go after you! Ended up out on the Quay for a part of the night until Tosh came in because you changed his fucking codes and he couldn't get back in! His fever has spiked again and he's..."

That was as much as Jack heard because he was on his feet and running to get to Ianto. Charging into the room he groaned, finding him pale and wet with sweat as he shivered through the fever. Owen shot him a filthy look but said nothing, instead continuing with the injections of several syringes into the IV port that was back in place. Done, Owen headed for the door, shoving Jack out of his way and mumbling a "twat" at him as he passed. Removing his coat, Jack went to the bed and sat on the edge, tossing the heavy greatcoat onto the chair and taking Ianto's hand. His breathing was rougher than it had been and the oxygen was once more in place and Jack had no doubt that part of this was his fault. Most of it in fact. He hadn't made Ianto chase him but he had made Tosh change everything that allowed Ianto access to the Hub.

"Jack?" He turned his head and saw Tosh, a bright white bandage covering her lower arm. "I erased the footage from in here. Owen and Gwen know nothing. He begged me not to watch so I didn't."

Jack sighed and brought Ianto's hand up to press it against his cheek. "I acted like a child in a strop. I hope he can forgive me." He glanced back at her. "What happened?"

"Weevil. I dodged one way, Gwen went the other and we managed to knock one another silly while falling on a crate. Cut my arm. The Weevil made it back in the sewers. Gwen and I just came back from a retrieval. Had a few more retrievals and one other Weevil sighting but other than that it's been mostly quiet today which was good considering Owen's been so concerned about Ianto and you ran off and couldn't be reached. Rhiannon has stayed to take care of Ianto but Owen's stayed when he could. His fever is back, his breathing is harsh, and he's been miserable all day. I thought things were better with the two of you? As often as I come in here and find you holding hands or you in bed holding him while he sleeps, I thought..."

"My fault. Completely my fault. We hit on a subject I don't speak of and I reacted badly." Jack was once more focused on Ianto. "I'm sorry my actions got you hurt as well."

"Rhiannon's really angry at you. So is Owen." Tosh leaned on the door frame. "As am I. Gwen's even had a few nasty things to say about you. I've added his codes back into the system, Jack. He wasn't very smart to chase after you but to get locked out there with nothing in the damp and the cold was horrible for him. He just kept apologizing for being a burden. He kept saying it was his fault. He was crying Jack, crying because once again he was convinced you hated him. He asked Owen to end it because he couldn't take anymore. He begged for Retcon if not a gun. He said he knew you hadn't forgiven him, this was all a game, and now that it was being played he just wanted to accept he had lost and have it done." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Is it a game?"

"You know it isn't. It was an argument, Tosh." Jack sighed heavily. "No it wasn't. I didn't even give him a chance to argue, I just ran. He knows more about me than I realized, and I didn't take finding out well. Stupidest part of it all though is that he's known for months and if he wanted to use any of the knowledge against me he could have but he's said nothing. It wasn't just his own secrets he's been keeping, it's been mine as well." Jack stroked his knuckles along Ianto's jaw line. "I hate this. I hate that he's so ill and I can't do anything to fix another stupid mistake on my part. He's been doing so well and with this I set him back again." He sighed and rolled his shoulders, hoping to ease some of the tension. "I need to talk to Rhiannon. And I need to know where you stand on that project I gave you."

"I've got three flats and a couple detached and semi-detached houses to look at. All two or three bedroom, all close to the Hub and all well within his price range since you just gave him a very nice pay increase that is actually back-dated for forgetting it once his probationary period was up."

Jack laughed. "I'm so glad I have you and Ianto to remind me of these things. When was that period up again?"

"After ninety days of course. Such an oversight on your part that it's taken an additional four months to notice." She stood and glanced over her shoulder. "You need to go speak with Rhiannon. All the information is in the boardroom and I'll stay with Ianto."

Jack didn't argue, he simply nodded and after pressing a kiss to the sweat-dampened feverish forehead of the sleeping man, he left him in Tosh's gentle hands and went to face the ire of Rhiannon.

-TW-

She appeared to be ready to punch him again so Jack stopped out of range. "I'm sure you have a lot to say to me. I never expected him to try to come after me, and if I had any idea that he had done so I would never have left him out there. I was angry, I acted very much like a child, and I will apologize to him and make sure he understands he has done nothing wring when he wakes. Please, feel free to rant at me but before you do can we look at what Tosh has figured out first?"

She didn't say anything, just gave Jack a short, sharp nod of her head. Still silent, she followed him up to the boardroom where Tosh's research and plans had been left on the table. Jack could tell she was literally biting the inside of her cheek to keep quiet but he went ahead, opening the file and spreading the printed out specifications of the various properties Tosh had chosen. Rhiannon sat down and pulled the first one toward her, a second level flat with two bedrooms.

"He's still going to be getting over this, so steps might be an issue." She pushed that one to the side and looked at another. "Possible, but there's only a shower. Ianto likes to take a bath to relax. Always has." Next one, and then the next, each one carefully studied and dismissed or added to the possible pile. They had moved onto the detached houses when she nodded. "I'm going to bet he goes with this." It was a two bedroom bungalow style house with a small garden and a garage. "He'll like the parking, he'll like the garden as it's small enough to require little care but big enough he can have friends over for charred meat." She almost smiled when Jack laughed. "It's got a bath attached to the master, with a tub. It's got another one for guests to use. Extra bedroom, small room for an office. Lounge, kitchen and a spot for a table and a few chairs. Not too pricey either." She looked at Jack. "He's got nothing. Even with the price being reasonable, how is he supposed to furnish it?"

"First off, he's been given a pay raise. That will help maintain the house and bills. I plan on paying what he owes, both on back bills and his credit cards. I also will help with what he needs for the house. I earn a very good packet, and I don't have much to spend it on. Plus I've made good investments, so I can afford to help him. If he had come to me and let me know he needed help, I would have made sure he got it. I know I have made some huge mistakes with him but I am trying." Jack sighed and dropped into the seat beside her. "What happened last night was a reaction on my part to something, or several somethings, I discovered Ianto knew about me, about my past. It startled me to the point I became angry. I can't get into what or why, but I walked out to avoid an argument..." Jack scrubbed his face with his hands and growled. "No. That's a lie." He stood, placed his palms flat on the table and leaned forward. "I left here because I was angry. It wasn't anything more than that."

"Oh bollocks. You left here in a bloody strop because you were pouting. Ianto knew a secret and you like your secrets." Rhiannon shook her head. "You get angry at him for keeping secrets that could have consequences while you have them too. And maybe to his secrets are worse in your eyes, but your secrets damn near got my brother killed. That alone makes them pretty fucking important to me. Now get your head out of your arse Captain Jack Harkness, and quit yanking my brother from pillar to post with your bloody mood swings. Worse than a woman on her monthly you are." She pointed a finger at Jack's stunned face. "One more. You get one more chance. You hurt him like that again, you make him feel like he is again, and I swear to you I will do some damage to your favorite bits."

The boardroom door burst open and Gwen trotted into the room. "Jack, don't you think that all of us should be here for your explanation? After all, we are supposed to be your team and if there are more problems with..."

"Gwen, this is between me and Rhiannon. Close the door on your way out."

"But Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack...!"

"Gwen! Out!"

She left, slamming the door behind her.

"Cor, does she do that often?"

Jack looked confused. "What?"

"Say your name like that."

Jack had to stop and think before nodding. "She does."

Rhiannon grinned and nudged him none too gently with her elbow. "Sounds like a bloody sheep she does. Fucking bleating. Ja-aa-aa-aa-aa-aack. Now go see my brother you bastard."

Jack had no idea how he was going to explain why he was laughing so hard he was snorting walking across the Hub. And even harder to explain was going to be why it happened again the next time Gwen bleated his name.


	16. Chapter 16

**Still own nothing except for my coffee mug and my laptop. Thanks as always for the kind words, follows and faves.**

When Ianto finally did wake up and was coherent enough to be aware of what and who was nearby, he was surprised and more than a bit relieved to find Rhiannon sitting in the chair with one of her favorite bodice rippers clutched in her hands. He watched her through half-open eyes, smiling, as her free hand dipped now and again into a bowl of crisps that was balanced on her lap. He might have gone back to sleep before she noticed except for a sudden tickle in his nose that brought forth a sneeze which startled her to the point the book fell and the crisps almost did, the bowl saved only by a quick grab.

"Well, well, look who finally decided to rejoin the bloody living." She set the bowl on the table and leaned toward him to press the back of her hand to his cheek. "Fever finally went down, you don't sound like you're blowing through a bellows anymore and I believe that's actually some color in your face. Ianto, I swear to you, you are buying me massive amounts of hair coloring to get rid of all the grey hairs you've managed to cause me."

"I..." He tried to clear his throat but she stopped him talking with a wave of her hand. A few ice chips and a swallow or two of water and he felt as if the shards of glass were gone from his throat so he tried again. "Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you. Stupid, so stupid to run out after him. Couldn't get back in, and had no phone to call anyone. By the time Tosh got here I thought crawling into the bay might have been warmer than sitting against that wall."

"Well, he knows he's on his last chance with me. I don't know what you said or what secrets you know but nothing is worth you dying. Now, something else we need to discuss before the lot of them get back from chasing whatever it is they went to chase. Tosh has been looking into places for you to live once you're well enough to leave here. I've picked a few for you to look at and decide on. Your back bills are paid. Your credit cards are paid." She grinned at the opening and closing of his mouth. "Stop flapping your lips. Jack's done it. He's also arranged a sum to be put into a new account for you covering the extra pay you should have been getting over the last few months. Once you decide which place you want then me, Tosh and Johnny will be going out and getting what you need for it on Jack's credit card." She pointed a finger at him and glared when he started to speak. "Not done here, so just keep quiet. You don't get a choice. It's being done this way and you're going to say thank you and accept. If you hadn't been such a bloody hardheaded idiot it would never have got this far. Maybe you couldn't have gone to Jack, but there was Tosh and me. You keep all this shit inside you and now it's gotten to the point where you have nothing, Ianto. Not even a bloody pot. Maybe you figured you were going to die so it didn't matter or you and Lisa were going to run but it didn't work out like you planned. You are not going to be dying and we know things did not go as you wished. So now you've got us. We may not be the smartest bunch since none of us figured this out, we may not be what you wanted and hoped for but we are what you've got. I can't speak for everyone but I love you, Tosh loves you, and my kids happen to like you're being in their lives. As for Johnny, well, he's not your favorite person but he's been wonderful through all this. He knows next to nothing and he's been taking care of the kids so I can come sit with you. He's been my support. Now if all that isn't special enough for you to accept what help you're being given and be grateful for it then too fucking bad. You're living, you're accepting Jack's help, and you're doing it with a smile or so help me Ianto Jones, I will hurt you in ways I haven't even threatened that tosser of a boss of yours with. Got it?"

Despite the fact she was crying he knew her threats were deadly serious and Ianto was rather fond of his bits as well. Nodding, unable to really say anything past the lump in his throat, he shifted forward to take her in his arms, resting his cheek against her hair while she got his shoulder a bit damp.

-TW-

They had looked through the properties she had set aside by the time the others returned. She had been correct in her choice - he thought the bungalow was by far the best option but he was still balking at the idea of letting Jack pay for so much. He had tried to convince her that he needed next to nothing and could purchase more as he went but she more or less ignored him and went right on making list after list of what he needed to make the new place a home. Tosh was so happy to see him awake and alert that she pushed Rhiannon out of the way to give him a hug that made him groan from the force, only drawing back far enough to smack his arm as she scolded him for being such an idiot to chase Jack outside even as she hugged him again. She then realized what Rhiannon and he had been discussing and she forgot all about him as she launched into plans, Ianto quickly understanding he had no chance of getting over on one of them let alone both. When Owen came in and chased them out they took lists and all, still talking about what color this and what material that and he let out a heavy sigh as he dropped back on the pillows. He had completely lost control of his life to the two women and he might as well just go with it all and avoid a great deal of aggravation and pain.

Speaking of aggravation and pain, Owen started barking questions at him as to how he was feeling, barely letting Ianto answer one before firing another. Even as they talked Gwen appeared, looking annoyed and carrying a bag that smelled of something good. Ianto nodded at her, still answering Owen, rolling his eyes when she dropped the bag next to the opposite wall and stormed out. Satisfied Ianto wasn't going to fall over in the next ten minutes Owen left as well, leaving Ianto alone with a bag that was on the other side of the room and a stomach that was beginning to make noises at the odors drifting from said bag. Carefully, he shoved the blankets off his legs and swung them slowly off the side of the bed, figuring there was enough slack in the IV tubing to make a few steps to where he might be able to retrieve what he guessed was his breakfast, lunch or dinner. He had no idea what time of day it was but he knew it had been far too long since his last meal and he wanted whatever that was as he was practically drooling already. Taking a deep breath - and only then thinking to remove the oxygen - he grabbed the edge of the bed with both hands and tried to use it to leverage himself to his feet.

He almost made it. In fact he did make it, he just went too far and he knew the landing was going to hurt. Grabbing for the arm of the chair to try to break his fall and feeling his fingers skitter across the fabric without catching hold, Ianto braced himself for the jarring pain but it never arrived. Instead he was enveloped in a pair of strong arms and a way too familiar smell and as he was turned to face his rescuer he found himself looking into brilliant blue eyes.

"You know Mister Jones, I have dreamt of you falling into my arms but it didn't happen quite like this and there were far less clothes involved. There was a bed in close proximity however."

Ianto could feel the heat in his face. "Food," he stammered. "Is it for me?"

"It is. Let's get you back in bed first though." Jack lifted him and guided him back to the bed, getting him settled with his oxygen back in place and tucking the blankets round his legs. "You didn't get hurt, did you?"

Ianto shook his head, all too aware things were not right between them and that he was alone with Jack.

"We need to talk, Ianto." Jack sat on the edge of the bed and caught Ianto's hand. "We will, but right now you need to eat and get some more rest but just know I couldn't be sorrier for what happened. It was my fault, I got angry and ran out of here. I never thought about you coming after me and I never thought about the changes in the system that would lock you out. If anything had happened to you..." Jack shook his head. "It did happen, but if anything worse had I don't know how I could have forgiven myself. Everyone has ripped my hide and I deserved it. I am sorry. I acted like a child and I hope we can talk about this and maybe you can forgive me."

Ianto squeezed his hand, unable to really say anything more when Rhiannon and Tosh arrived to join them for dinner.

-TW-

The bag had contained some wonderful chicken soup with lots of thick noodles and chunks of meat as well as slices of fresh bread with butter. Ianto managed to eat almost the whole carton of soup and one of the bread slices before he gave up and leaned back in his pillows to enjoy the feeling of being full, warm and just a bit drowsy. He listened to the animated conversation between Rhiannon and Tosh as they made plans for spending Jack's money, smiling at the occasional wince from Jack as the lists took on lives of their own. All too soon he was drifting, hearing less of what was being said until he dropped off into sleep, the others lowering their voices to keep from disturbing him. Owen injected another round of antibiotics into the IV port and shooed them out, turning down the lights and pulling the door closed to allow Ianto the rest his body desperately needed. A few hours later after the others had gone home for the night leaving only the two of them in the Hub, Jack made his way back to the room and settled into the armchair next to the bed, content to watch Ianto sleep without the worries of the last few days predominant in his mind.

Finding out Ianto knew so much about him had been not only startling but out and out frightening. Ianto was no fool, and for him to be aware that Jack had not only been working with Torchwood for more than a hundred years, it was very likely he had found some evidence of the experiments that had been done on him henceforth the whole issue of his immortality. While Gwen knew because she had witnessed Susie's attempt to kill him, Jack had been very careful to avoid it becoming common knowledge. While he had indeed died in the field while working with his team they had not been aware of the actual death so thus far he had been able to simply claim that he had some sort of accelerated healing abilities. Ianto had witnessed him being injured the first night they met and while he had never brought it up again on that night he had noticed the quick healing of a wound Jack had waved off as superficial. But even through all this, and having known, Ianto had never mentioned it to anyone and in fact had not even commented on the sometimes copious amounts of blood left behind on coat and clothes. Jack didn't quite understand it; Ianto had been reluctant to trust Jack about Lisa but he had demonstrated his loyalty - albeit unknown - to Jack in his silence.

Ianto intrigued Jack, he had from the first time they met. The tight jeans, the accent, the pale skin, dark hair and gorgeous blue eyes had attracted the captain. The fact he had know what a Weevil was had been the only thing that kept Jack from getting his number the first night. Upon finding out Ianto had been with One, Jack's whole attitude had changed. He couldn't take back the way he had dismissed and belittled anyone who had worked there and he knew his attitude and undisguised hatred had only reinforced Ianto's belief that there would be no interest or mercy in helping correct the damage that had been done to the woman he loved. Even though there was nothing that could have been done, things could have gone much easier for both Ianto and Lisa if he had been able to come to Jack, and while Jack would never have had any other choice but to end it the brutality of it all could have been avoided. The look on Ianto's face that night, as the words of Lisa had been spoken from the mouth of another, had been heartbreaking. When the sounds of the shots had died in the air and all that could be heard were the echoes of his broken sobs there was a moment where everything could have gone so differently. Instead of compassion and support there had been anger and fear. The only one that had tried to help Ianto had been Tosh, and Owen had viciously yanked her away.

Jack couldn't recall what all was said. Part of him was grateful although he wished each word could be addressed. He wished each moment could be explained. He wished...

"Jack?"

"You're supposed to be sleeping." He shifted forward to sit on the edge of the chair, now within reach of Ianto's hand. Taking it in his, he curled his fingers gently round, encasing it in his warmth. "You need anything?"

"Not anymore." Hand still wrapped within Jack's, Ianto slipped back into sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**I was going to split this into two chapters but I decided to go ahead and post it as one. I want to thank everyone for their reviews, faves and follows and I do plan to continue the series. It will stick with a mix of AU and canon, I still will not own then but I will have tons of fun playing with them.**

Jack bounced into the room with a big grin on his face and a brand new overcoat draped across his arm. "Ready?"

"Stop smiling like that," Ianto warned him, "this is Wales, that's far brighter than what we're used to."

Jack laughed and took Ianto's arm to help him to stand, taking a moment to admire the jeans and long sleeved red jumper he was wearing. "Looking quite fetching there, Mister Jones." he helped him on with the overcoat and once more took hold of his arm to help him leave the room. Slowly, taking each step at the pace Ianto was most comfortable with, they mad it into the main part of the Hub and headed for the cog door. "We're off, don't wait up for us!"

Ianto threw a giggling Tosh a pained look. "If you don't hear from me in an hour, send UNIT, the locals, and any other emergency team you can think of."

Jack's familiar pout only made her laugh harder. "Don't worry, we have a tracker on both of you."

"Toshiko! Are you insinuating Ianto needs to be saved from me?"

"Even if she isn't I am, sir," Ianto deadpanned.

"Jack, we really should know where you're going and what..."

"Out, Gwen. We are going out. I am taking Ianto somewhere that we can sit and talk. If you need me you can call my phone. But if you call my phone it best be a legitimate emergency or you will be cleaning cells and scrubbing the autopsy bay for a month." Grinning at her less than pleased expression, Jack guided Ianto out the door.

-TW-

Somehow Jack managed to curb his natural enthusiasm and walk at a normal pace across the Plas, allowing Ianto to keep up. Ianto, far too happy to be out and breathing fresh air, didn't notice that Jack had an arm loosely wound round his waist and in fact was actually supporting every step. Still weak and fighting off the last remnants of the infection that had nearly ended his life, Ianto found himself grateful for the simple pleasure of being alive. "So where are we going?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "First we are going to have lunch. Then we are going somewhere."

"As opposed to nowhere?"

"Questions will get you nothing. However," Jack leered at him so openly that a group of young women passing by giggled the resulting expression and blush on Ianto's face, "I _can_ be bribed to reveal all. And when I say all, I do mean _all_."

"If those are my only options I believe I am able to contain my natural curiosity and wait until the proper time for our destination to be revealed."

"You are no fun, Ianto!" Jack tightened the arm still round Ianto's waist. "Promise you'll tell me if it gets to be too much."

"I will. Now, you promised to feed me and I am rather hungry so if you could follow through on said promise I would appreciate it." Ianto could have sworn he heard Jack mutter something about a meanie before the lip popped back out but at least they did head in the direction of a short stretch of several different types of restaurants.

"Preference?" Jack asked.

"As lovely as fish and chips sound I don't think my stomach is quite ready for anything that heavy. Maybe Italian?"

"Italian it is." Jack was not only relieved that Ianto was content to be so close to him but the relaxed banter between them was even more intimate than it had been before the revelation of the Cyberwoman and Jack was so happy to be in the position he was that at the moment he would have handed Ianto the moon - and not the boring one circling Sol 3 but one of the good ones that actually had some sort of fun to them - without a thought. The past nine days had been nothing but positive steps forward in Ianto's recovery as well, and the fact that Jack had actually had to search the archives to find him on several occasions had been a sure sign he was close to being well. Healthy would take some more time; between the weight loss and the wearing down of his body that would be a much slower road but the infections and pain had finally given in to Owens determined treatments.

Owen was another pleasant (although Jack used the term loosely) surprise. While he doubted there would ever be a complete cessation of hostilities between Ianto and Owen there was a difference in those hostilities. Owen's snarky barbs were no less snarky but they were said with far less venom, and while Ianto still had not relaxed enough to really respond there were moments when Jack saw him take a breath to speak and then stop, the remaining insecurity of belonging showing in his eyes. Jack would usually then take over and cheerfully insult Owen, usually in such a manner that would offend the grumpy medic enough to where he flounced off snarling. Jack would then be rewarded by a small smile from Ianto and he would hang all his teeth out in return which had the additional reward of making Ianto's cheeks turn pink.

"Jack?"

Pulled out of his thoughts by Ianto's voice, he looked over at the man beside him. "Sorry, I was thinking."

"I know, but could we sit before you start doing it again? We've already passed several places that would have done so unless you have exact plans..."

"Nope, could have dragged me into any one of them." Realizing that they had walked further than he intended, Jack gave himself a mental kick for being unobservant. "Here?" He indicated a doorway and Ianto nodded.

"Could we sit outside? It just feels so good to be in the fresh air and with the sun it's not really..."

"Ianto, if you end up with another fever or a cough or a broken fingernail whatever parts of me Rhiannon leaves attached will then be removed by Tosh and Owen will get the last of me. I promise to take you to as many lunches and dinners that you want where you can sit outside once you are given the all clear. I know you're sick of being stuck in the Hub but this is part of the agreement that allowed me to bring you outside. I'm already in trouble for making you walk so far."

Ianto smiled at him. "I won't tell."

Still trying to convince himself that the smile hadn't make his stomach twist and his heart do something that he refused to admit was a flutter, a jump, or even a slight increase in the working count, Jack opened the door and ushered Ianto inside.

-TW-

Lunch over, Jack made a phone call and then ushered Ianto outside. Ianto realized where they were going as soon as Jack passed the slip of paper to the taxi driver. He didn't say a word though, instead letting his gaze wander, taking in everything that had not changed in his time in the Hub yet at the same time was so different he almost didn't recognize it. He knew he had healing - both physical and emotional - left to do but he actually felt positive for the outcome of it all. Admitting to himself that he had misjudged the damage done to Lisa by the unfinished conversion had been a huge step but he still had yet to say anything to Jack and in order for them to finish the healing of their relationship he had no choice. There were so many things that still needed to be said between then and if Ianto was honest with himself a part of it were the growing feelings he was having for the man beside him. He did his best not to read Jack, in fact he tried not to read anyone, but that in itself was another thing that still needed to be talked through. A light press of lips against his temple brought him out of his musings and he turned his head to smile at Jack. "Sorry, seemed to have been my turn for woolgathering."

"Don't be." Jack's hand lifted to allow his fingers to gently push the hair off Ianto's forehead and slip though the slight curls until he could cup the back of his head. "What are you thinking about, gorgeous?"

"Me. You. Us."

"Oh?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "Care to share?"

"I'd rather wait until we..." The taxi stopped and Ianto looked past Jack and out the window. "Oh..." he breathed, his eyes wide. "Jack?"

"Welcome home, Jones Ianto Jones," Jack said, his words as soft as Ianto's had been. He reluctantly let go of the younger man long enough to open the door and step out, paying the driver before taking Ianto's hand to help him from the taxi. They stood there as it pulled away, Ianto staring at the neat brick bungalow and Jack staring at him. "Shall we go inside?"

"Yes, please." His fingers intertwined and curled round Jack's when Jack took hold of his hand and together they approached the gate. Jack opened it and lightly nudged Ianto through, following and closing it behind them. Ianto stopped again, looking round the small patch of green and over at the garage, his face falling when he realized that there was nothing to put there since the sale of his beloved Audi. It struck him them, hard enough to make him take a sharp breath in and a step back, that he had nothing. A handful of clothes, some books and a few DVDs, a couple of pictures and his memories but other than that everything he had owned and worked so hard for was gone.

Including Lisa.

Jack saw the violent swings of emotions on Ianto's face and he pulled him closer, using his free arm to wrap round the slender shoulders. "Talk to me, please. Don't shut off."

Ianto shook his head, trying to convey that it wasn't an unwillingness to speak but more an inability to do so. He didn't struggle when Jack turned him into a full embrace, feeling Jack release his hand in order to wrap both arms tightly around him, enclosing him in warmth and the wonderful scent that always surrounded Jack. He buried his face in the juncture of Jack's neck and shoulder, feeling the wool of the coat on one side and the warmth of Jack's skin on the other, taking deep breaths to try and steady the rush of emotions that engulfed him. Ianto's hands reached round Jack's waist, under the coat, fisting the material of Jack's shirt and holding on, gripping him as if he were the only thing that could for the moment keep Ianto grounded through the assault of so many emotions.

"Come on, Yan, talk to me," Jack said softly, running one hand in smooth circles over Ianto's back, the other lightly stroking the fine hairs on the back of his neck.

"I just don't understand why you did this. After everything I did. Hiding Lisa, lying, punching you - why do you care so much?" Ianto's word were muffled against Jack's skin. "I still keep waiting for you to tell me it's over and you're bored with it all so it's time to be executed or Retconned."

"Not going to happen," Jack stated, his words firm. "Ianto, all I want is for you to find something that makes you want to go on, to live. I would be willing to let you go, without Retcon, if that's what you wanted. I don't want you to be at the Hub out of a sense of duty. I want you there because there's no place else you would rather be." He slipped his hand under Ianto's chin and lifted his face in order to look into his eyes. "Yan, please, forgive me?"

"I have no right to ask this but only if you forgive me."

"Done." Jack grinned at him. "Now come on, let's go see your new house."

"One thing first." Ianto leaned in and brushed a light kiss across Jack's lips. "Now, let's go see." He stepped out of Jack's embrace and instead caught hold of his hand, dragging him the last few paces to the door.

-TW-

After hanging up their coats, removing their shoes and touring the house - which was everything Ianto could have hoped for and a thousand times more - he used the brand new state of the art coffee machine to fix them both a mug and herded Jack into the lounge where both men took a seat on the settee. Ianto chewed his lip, knowing what he wanted to say but not sure how to begin. Jack, sensing this, decided to break the silence. "So, ready to try out that new bed?"

Ianto's head shot up and he narrowed his eyes at his now laughing companion. "Nope, but when I am you'll be the first to know." As if he realized what he said he want bright red and quickly looked away. "Jack, I..."

"Ianto, you know I want more from you. I have never made a secret of that. I also know we have a great deal of hurt and anger and fear on your part to work through. I won't push. I will flirt; I may even pat, pinch and touch, but I will not force you into anything you aren't ready for. If you decide you want more simply tell me, or show me. If you decide nothing will ever happen I will beg and plead, but I will respect how you feel." He grinned when Ianto snorted at the idea of him begging. He set his coffee on the coaster placed purposefully in front of him and then took Ianto's hand in both of his. "I hope you feel the things for me that I feel for you. I'm not declaring love. I _am_ declaring like. Strong like. And obviously strong sexual interest. But it all comes at your pace." He stopped talking when Ianto set his coffee down on his own coaster and took a deep breath, figuring that Ianto had something to say.

What he didn't figure on was the firm press of Ianto's lips. Soft lips that parted under the light swipe of his tongue. The kiss was surprisingly gentle but very thorough, and when it ended the two men sat with their foreheads pressed together as they caught their breath. "I like you Jack, I have since I met you. Sometimes I felt so wrong for feeling like I did with Lisa fighting for her life, but I cant deny how much I..." He laughed softly, the warmth and scent of his breath drifting over Jack's lips. "I just need to take it slow. It's too soon, and I'm afraid I end up getting hurt by feeling something that isn't real."

"I can do slow. Just..."

"Don't make me promises, Jack. Please."

Unsure how to answer, Jack took the moment to kiss him again.

-TW-

"So why are we here?"

"We usually come in daily to work, Gwen," Tosh said, shaking her head.

"I know that, why are we here so early?"

"Most people start work at this time, Gwen," Jack barked, coming into the boardroom with Ianto behind him. Ianto was carrying a tray of coffees and nodded to the rest, passing out the mugs before taking a seat on Jack's right with his own. "So, tell me what everyone is up to?" Jack said, looking round as he took a sip of coffee. A low, extremely pornographic moan followed, the rest shaking their head at his reaction. "Yan, I swear, your coffee is comparable to the finest and most orgasmic sins on the pleasure planets in the Nuvidiian Galaxy. In fact, I..."

"Sir, may I just say decaf?"

Jack made a motion of zipping his lips, which of course only lasted a moment before he was sipping more of the delectable brew. "Right, so where were we?"

Tosh went first, going over the latest program updates and databases that had been added to Mainframe. Owen followed, explaining that the autopsy on the rather dense gelatin form that had dropped from the rift and landed on a rather unhappy family of tourists from somewhere in the United States showed it appeared to be nothing more than a giant blob of alien snot. That caused a few groans from the women and the beginning of a story from Jack until Ianto cleared his throat and pointed to Jack's mug.

The threat stopped him cold.

Gwen was next, and while she didn't have anything to address in reference to an ongoing case, she did once more bring up the issue of Rhiannon and her knowledge of all things Torchwood.

Jack had decided that he was going to sit back and watch. The decision to do so was brought about by the gradual tightening of Ianto's lips and the slow curl of fingers into fists he could see in the archivist's lap. A minute shake of his head at Tosh and a strong glare at Owen kept them both quiet as Gwen rambled on, pointing out how dangerous it was and how much trouble could happen when she let slip to some of the people who lived near her. When he saw Ianto's foot begin tapping he figured it was time to end it. Jack's hand slapping down onto the table made them all jump. "Enough. I have no worries that Rhiannon will compromise Torchwood in any way. My decision is final." He glanced at Ianto. "Now that Ianto is back with us, I will begin training him for field work. He is not our servant, he is not here to take care of your laundry, he has a list of set duties and if you ask him - and you will _ask_, not expect - and he says no, then do it yourself. I will not tolerate the rude remarks, the demands, the opinions of what exactly his job does entail. I will expect all of you to treat one another with respect. If you are not able to do so, you can look forward to suspensions and terminations, although you won't recall being terminated as you won't remember any of this. Now, Ianto has something he wishes to say. After everything that has been said to him, I believe it's within his right to speak in return." Jack tilted his head. "Ianto?"

Ianto slowly got to his feet and took a long look round the table. He was still a little too thin, still a little too pale but he was so much better and the suit almost fit him as it was supposed to. Gone were the tremors, gone were the nervous tics, and gone was the man who wouldn't meet their eyes.

They realized rather quickly that the man who put up with all their shit was gone as well.

"I wanted to apologize for what happened. My love for her blinded me to what was actually there." He took a deep breath and looked at Tosh. "Tosh, thank you. I am grateful to have you as my friend and I have never felt you were anything but. I am sorry for frightening you when I disappeared and I promise I will never forget that you are there for me if I need you." He turned his gaze to Owen. "You're a twat, but you're a brilliant doctor. Thank you for taking care of me. On that note, if you think I am going to sit back and allow you to treat me as if I am less than you think again. I am not a tea boy, and you will address me by name or so help me you will not only get tea, it will be the most disgusting swill I can find." Owen's muffled squeak was met with an evil twist of Ianto's lips. "And never forget, I know what some of those things in the Archives do."

Jack had to cough to keep from laughing at the horror on Owen's face, Tosh giggled into her hand.

Ianto stiffened his shoulders and turned to Gwen. "You may feel you are the heart of this team but your behavior demonstrates something different. I am sorry that you were almost hurt by Lisa, but your treatment of me started from the day you walked through that door and decided you didn't like the way Jack flirted with me. You brag about your life outside here yet in the same breath you flutter your eyelashes and do everything you can to push yourself onto Jack. I know Rhys, and he's a good bloke. I have managed to talk Rhiannon out of catching him up on who and what you are but I suggest you remember that just because someone grows up on the estate we are not all drooling idiots. I am your superior here. I have worked for Torchwood far longer than you, both at One and here. If you want something, you ask. I am not your P.A., nor your butler. I do not have to do your paperwork. I am not responsible for your kit. Do it yourself. If you want respect, earn it and give it in return."

Even Owen was smirking at the goldfish impression from Gwen.

Ianto now looked to Jack. "Thank you for giving me a second chance. I look forward to proving my loyalty to Torchwood and to you." He sat down and folded his hands in his lap, looking down at the table and waiting for the explosion from somewhere.

It never came. Jack dismissed the meeting and Owen left first, followed by a murderous looking Gwen and a still giggling Tosh at the rear. Ianto finally glanced at Jack to find a blinding smile on his face. "So, Mister Jones, are you now going to tell me that if I flirt, harass, or insinuate anything I will be written up and given decaf?"

Ianto stood and gathered the mugs left by the others and placing them on the tray, stopping beside Jack when he was done. He leaned down, his lips not quite against Jack's ear. "Of course not, _sir_," he breathed, grinning when he saw Jack shiver. Straightening up, he left the room.

Jack took a deep breath and growled it out. "Oh, you just wait. I have plans for you Ianto Jones." he bounced to his feet and left the conference room, whistling as he headed back to his office to pretend to work while he found Ianto on the CCTV.

-TW-

It had been two weeks since Ianto left the Hub and jack often found himself at a loss in the middle of the night when sleep eluded him. He had been dozing in his bunker when something disturbed him; getting up he threw on some trousers and a vest and climbed the ladder into his office. The Hub was in night mode and his desk was lit by a small lamp, draping the rest of the room in shadows. He caught his breath when he saw the rose petal on his desk, memories flooding his mind and the echo of horrific laughter making him shudder. A noise caught his ear and he looked up, surprised to see Ianto standing in the doorway to the office. "You shouldn't be here," he blurted, startled by seeing him.

Ianto quirked an eyebrow at him. "Neither should you." He moved away, Jack slipping the petal into his pocket and following him as he went down the stairs and into the Hub proper, sitting down at his desk and resuming the study of something in the open folder he carried, glancing occasionally at the screen as if confirming what he read.

"What have you got?" Jack asked, coming to stand behind him. He rested his hand on Ianto's shoulder for a moment before sliding it down and rubbing slow circles over the base of his spine.

"Funny sort of weather patterns," Ianto answered, leaning into the contact.

Jack felt his stomach twist and brought his hand back up to slip over Ianto's shoulder and down onto his chest as he bent over to look at the data on the paper and on the computer screen. Without thinking, he rested his cheek against Ianto's, his other hand slipping into his pocket and feeling the flower petal that he had found on his desk.

He had a feeling this was not going to end well at all.


End file.
